Jessica Jones Then, Felicity Smoak Now
by amilner24
Summary: Felicity Smoak hates mysteries, which is quite ironic since she is a mystery. How will her past affect her new life in Starling City?
1. Prologue

2011

"That's the last of it." 20-year old Jessica Jones mumbled as she loaded the last of her boxes into her Red Mini Cooper. She's glad she didn't have a lot of things, since it helped minimize the expense and hassle that come with moving. She walks back inside her home for the past 4 years. She'll leave tomorrow and it will take her at least 2 days to drive from Cambridge to her new home.

Jessica still has one more thing to do. She heads back to the bathroom while reading the instructions for the hair dye. She puts on the gloves and starts mixing the dye. "Here's to hoping I'll have fun as a blonde!" she says to herself as she raises the bowl for her dye in a mock-toast. Jessica takes one last look at herself in the mirror. She knows that despite changing her appearance, she'll still be the same. She isn't delusional. Changing looks won't expunge the pain nor will it repress the memories or stop the flashbacks. "When a snake sheds an old layer of skin, it's still a snake. But I need this - I need to move forward. I'll still be the kangaroo-fearing and mystery-hating broken genius who also happens to be ridiculously strong." she babbles to herself. Jessica then gets to work and applies the hair dye carefully. Once she's done with the application, she sets the timer and walks back to the bare bedroom.

In the next few days, she'll be in Starling City and settling into her new town home. Jessica couldn't wait to leave and move away, so as soon as she received the offer from Queen Consolidated to be an IT Analyst, she accepted. Sure, a person with her skills and abilities could perform at a more advanced role but she wanted to keep a low profile for now. The promise of a new job in a new city was just too good - she jumped at the first opportunity. She can always sharpen her hacking (such an ugly word) skills on her own time. Starling City seemed nice. The Glades is the part of the city that she was warned about and she just shrugged. She can handle some hooligans and lowlifes. All cities have their sketchy patches. "Maybe the residents could use a watchman of sorts" she sassed. She doesn't start work at Queen Consolidated for 2 weeks and she found a short gig at a small startup to help her cash flow. She figures that's enough time to adjust and get situated in her new surroundings.

The timer buzzed - signaling it's time to rinse the dye off her hair. After she's done, Jessica takes a look at the mirror. "Trish will laugh her ass off if she sees me." She thinks of her best friend who tried and failed to convince her to move to New York. "It's better this way. I need to figure things out by myself." she recalled herself saying to her visibly disappointed best friend. She finishes drying and styling her hair.

There's no turning back now. To the world, Jessica Jones moved to South East Asia. But to her and her best friend, Jessica Jones will live on as Felicity Smoak.

End of Prologue

Note: Let me know what you think. None of the characters are mine and this has not been beta'd. Mistakes are mine and will be revisited and corrected as much as possible! I'll eventually tag this as a crossover as I flesh out the story and characters. Cross-posted on AO3. I love Jessica Jones - I'm a fan of noir and psychological thriller genres. This came to me when I was binged on Jessica Jones - what if Felicity was Jessica Jones (the mystery-solving, vulnerability, and yes the dark hair did it for me)? I've obviously taken quite a lot of liberties but I feel like these two incredibly compelling and intriguing characters while starkly different, can be merged and that is what I hope to do. I'm thinking of basing some of the chapters on certain episodes/storylines – they'll all be connected but the timeline might be different. The prologue is pretty short but I expect subsequent chapters to have a decent length.


	2. Welcome to Starling City

_Thank you for the follows and comments! Here's the next chapter. I planned to update this every week but I was ahead of schedule, so here you go and let me know what you think. This is still set in 2011 but with a flashback of sorts (Just a heads up - I plan to incorporate flashback scenes in chapters and will make sure to be as clear as possible to avoid confusion)._

 _I don't own anything and if there are any mistakes, I will try my hardest to revisit and correct them._

 **Welcome to Starling City**

The sounds of fast and incessant typing could be heard in a dimly lit room occupied by 3 students. "Exploiting. Exploiting. Packets created. Done! I'm through. Gents, I have gotten around the Department of Education's firewall" a dark haired girl with matching dark makeup turns her laptop to her 2 gob smacked classmates. One of the boys whistled and said "Remind me not to piss you off".

"I'm glad you've learned a lesson from this fun exercise, Myron".

Before anyone could respond, they hear "Alright! Yes! That was absolutely tremendous, I thought I was good. You - you are a sight to behold. Isn't she amazing?" A tall and lanky young man in a purple button down shirt with eyes glued to Jessica, walked towards them. After walking past the 2 other boys, he finally acknowledged them and said "Leave us; go have coffee or whatever it is that you drink. Go."

And just like that the 2 guys scrambled to leave, without looking back or saying goodbye. Jessica could only stare back at him. "Here I am, just walking around Barker Library and then bam, I hear you doing something amazing. Come here, let me have a look at you." he demanded. She could only comply. Slowly, she got up from her chair and stood in front of him, not breaking eye contact.

"Jesus, you're a vision – hair and skin, appalling sense of fashion, but that can be remedied. Underneath it all, the power - just like me. What's your name?" he inquired. "Jones, Jessica Jones." she answered mechanically.

He shakes his head, "No, no, your hacker name." "Just Jessica Jones." she responded.

"Really? Ok, then. I'll see you around, Jessica." he leaves with a sly smile on his face.

"Wait! I didn't get your name." Jessica yelled after him, as if she just snapped out of a trance. He turned around, smirking; he asked, "Which one? My hacker name or my real name?"

"Both." Jessica requested. "Cooper. Killgrave. Respectively. I can't wait to learn everything about you. Until next time, Jessica." With that he turned around and kept walking until he was out of her sight.

"Killgrave" she whispered.

Felicity woke up in a gasp - eyes wide. "It's just a dream. Just a dream." she repeated as she turned to look at the clock – 4:45 AM, it read. "Might as well get up." She whispered to herself as she tried to control her breathing. She decided to take her time in making breakfast and choosing what to wear for her startup gig. She still has 9 days to go before starting at Queen Consolidated and this gig shouldn't take more than 3 days.

Her phone rang as she was getting ready for her short consulting gig. "Hello, this is Felicity." she answered. "Hello, Ms. Smoak? I hope I caught you at a good time. This is Walter Steele's assistant, Evelyn. We've spoken before. He wanted to know your availability for lunch this week as he was hoping to chat with you before your official start date."

She did remember Evelyn, a bit thrown off by Walter Steele's invitation, she responded "I'm free this Friday, would 12 noon work?" "Yes, it does. Thank you and I will email you the details of the restaurant. Can I send the information to the email I have on your candidate profile?" Evelyn confirmed.

After hanging up, Felicity made her way to her consulting job. It's pretty straightforward – she had to design a converged Network and Security environment and provide implementation notes for the new hires that will be taking over this responsibility. Felicity figured since she was up early, she could take public transportation, learn a few routes, and maybe spend part of her commute walking home.

Her day, though busy, was pretty uneventful. She left at 5:45 and decided to walk around the city. She realized she was creeping in The Glades. Felicity remembered the warning "Don't set foot near The Glades, nothing good ever happens in that area". She didn't think it was a big deal as it was fairly early and she really wanted to find a grocery store to get some mint chip. Felicity found a mini mart and bought bread and 2 pints of mint chip.

As she was rounding the corner from the store, she heard someone say, "Run" and a terrified young woman whizzed past her not stopping even when asked if everything was okay. Felicity jogged to the direction where she ran away from and saw a teenager surrounded by a group of young thugs. He tried to hold his own and got a few punches in but he was outnumbered.

She knew she had to do something. "Hey, cut it out or I'm calling the cops." she yelled as she got closer.

"Look what we have here. We got ourselves a nosey blonde. Want to join in the fun? Just wait babe, once we're done with this little shit, we'll take care of you." one of the 4 thugs sneered; shambling towards her. "Take one step closer and you'll regret it." Felicity warned him as she set her handbag and grocery bag down.

"Oh we got a feisty one, come here Blondie. I like the ones with some fight in them." As he lunged at her, she dodged then punched the loudmouth right in the jaw and he was out cold. The other 3, who were originally busy beating up the young man, turned to her and came at her all at once. The biggest one tried to twist her arm but she ended up flipping him and kicking him in the stomach. The remaining 2, now feeling emasculated, decided to come at her in opposite directions, but she was quicker, slid past them and got the smaller one in a headlock and swung him to knock out his unfortunate friend. All 4 were knocked out cold in just a short span of time.

After taking care of the last thugs, she looked around to make sure no one was hiding waiting to get the jump on her. She turned to the teenager they beat up and asked, "Hey, are you okay? Do you want me to bring you to the hospital?" Felicity tried to get a better look at the shocked kid. "Doesn't seem too badly injured but jeez, he could cut an orange with that jawline" she thought.

The kid gave her a weird look and asked "What?"

"I said that out loud, didn't I? Don't mind me. What were you even thinking taking on 4 violent wingnuts all at once?" she asked as she picked up her bag and rummaged for a tissue and her mobile phone. She handed the tissue to the kid.

"Apparently you didn't have a problem doing just that. How did you do that?" the impressed teen questioned."Look, now's not the time for questions. I'd rather we call the police to take care of these guys. You stay here, while I phone the cops." Felicity directed as she started dialing.

The kid touched her hand and said "We're in The Glades; the cops won't bother to come. Calling them would just waste your minutes. We're used to it, don't worry, but I think we should walk away from these guys".

Felicity thought about it and then acquiesced "Fine. Do you need me to take you to the hospital? Can I call someone for you?". "No need for a hospital or a phone call, I'm fine. Uh, thanks again. Although I really want to know how you managed to do that?" the kid asked.

"Krav Maga" she answered quickly. "Don't underestimate the power of a good self-defense class." she lamely added. The teenager stared at her, rolled his eyes, and wiped the last bit of blood off his face.

"Sassy little twerp" she thought. "What's your name and what were you doing here, by the way?" the kid asked her.

"Felicity Smoak – I'm new to the city and thought I'd explore for a bit after work. I was going to head home but then stopped by the store to get a few things. The next thing I know I hear you yell "Run" and a terrified girl clipped me in the shoulder as she legged it. I assume you tried to save her?" she waited for a confirmation. The kid nodded feeling self-conscious and tugged on his red hoodie. Felicity continued "Lucky for her and I guess you too, that was brave and it could've ended worse for you. Are you sure you don't want me to call anyone? What's your name?".

The teenager responded "Roy Harper and positive – no need to call anyone, and uh, thanks again for beating the crap out of those guys and helping me. I think if you didn't come they would have done a number on me. Learning to fight on the street is one thing, but being held down and outnumbered is another."

Felicity took one last look at Roy and since he didn't seem badly hurt, accepted his response, "Alright, if you're sure you're okay. Then I'll head out now and get a new pint of mint chip. Definitely need ice cream. Stay out of trouble please, Roy."

And with that she walked the opposite way, but not before taking another look at the teen who was walking away. She found a mini-mart closer to her townhome and bought 4 pints of mint chip. As soon as Felicity got home, she went straight to the bathroom to shower and wash away the grime. After her much needed shower, she headed to the kitchen, grabbed a spoon and a pint of ice cream, and then plopped down to the couch.

After mulling it over, Felicity dialed the number she memorized and waited for the other person to pick up. "Hello? Jess? How's it going? I guess I need to start calling you Felicity now, huh?" her best friend, Trish, teased.

"Better get used to it, Trish. I'm not bothering you, am I? I know it's pretty late in your neck of the woods and you can get pretty cranky when someone gets between you and your beauty sleep" she joked.

"No, you're good. I'm guessing something happened since I'm actually getting a phone call and not a text. What have you been up to lately?" her best friend slash adoptive sister probed.

"I've only been here for a few days, mostly unpacking, familiarizing myself with museums, stores, and good takeout places. Oh and I almost forgot. I stopped a gang of thugs from beating up a kid who tried to stop them from assaulting a girl. Nothing too special, I suppose. Talk about a baptism by fire."

Felicity recounted and tried to lighten up the mood. "Look at you, Felicity Smoak, already making her mark. Though that doesn't help alleviate my concerns over you, I know you can hold your own but next time just let the cops do their job – no need to go into the vigilante business." Trish replied, sternly.

"That's the thing, there's a part of the city that is ignored. Starling City certainly needs a guardian. I'm not saying it has to be me, but I won't turn a blind eye to these things." Felicity reasoned.

"I know you won't, and that's what makes you super. Just be careful. Now tell me more about the city, your job, anything." Trish switched the topic, knowing once her friend sets her mind on something it's no use talking her out of it. They ended up talking more for about half an hour. Felicity decided that one of these days she'll read up more and investigate on Starling City, specifically The Glades, like a mystery waiting to be solved.

She finished her consulting gig after 2 more days. After work, she decided to check on past events in Starling City. Even though she briefly looked into the city before moving, the events of the other night proved to be a catalyst for her to start her own research work about her new town. The city seemed just like a regular big city and had its own fair share of big businesses, events, and crimes. The most recent ones seemed to all focus on The Queens as QC was one of the biggest businesses in the country and news of the death of Robert Queen and his son made headlines. She even read about it when she was about to start at MIT. She didn't think much of it back then but maybe it's worth checking out.

The day of her lunch with Walter Steele finally came. She opted for a color block dress and a blazer to give a good first impression now that they've hired her. As Felicity pulled up to Table Salt, she checked the time and found that she still has 15 minutes to spare. Perfect. She went in and informed the maître d' that she was supposed to meet Walter. She was led to a table by the windows and sat facing the door keeping an eye on the lunch crowd starting to pour in.

Walter arrived 5 minutes later, walked up to their table and shook hands with her. "Thank you for meeting up with me, Ms. Smoak. I didn't get a chance to speak with you after your interview so I had my assistant set up a lunch before you officially start. How do you find Starling City so far?" Walter asked.

"It's been good. I've met some interesting characters and also started getting myself familiar with my surroundings." she answered just before their server dropped by to take their orders.

"That's good to hear. It's a big move but this is a good City and in case we haven't mentioned it, QC is glad you chose us. Ms. Smoak, I have a few projects lined up for you." They continued to talk about QC specifically its IT, Finance, and Applied Sciences departments. After Felicity politely declined to have dessert, Walter paid for their lunch.

Before they went on their separate ways, Walter said "I look forward to seeing you in QC, Ms. Smoak and please if you have any questions don't hesitate to reach out to me. Here's my card." "I appreciate it, Mr. Steele. Thank you again for inviting me to lunch and I will see you in a few days." Felicity said as they bid each other goodbye.

As she walked towards her car, she couldn't help but feel the excitement of starting a new job and also a familiar tingle of curiosity that there's still a lot to learn and uncover about Starling City.


	3. Mysteries Leading to More Mysteries

_Hello everyone. Here's another update just as the long weekend comes to a close. Thanks again to those who gave favourited, commented, and read this. I'm so motivated thanks to you guys. With work and no time offs, I might end up updating over the weekends._

 _Some of you might be getting antsy as I haven't introduced a certain archer. Don't fret. He'll be coming soon (I promise to make it worth the wait). I'm setting the stage for his return. You've seen Jessica's/Felicity's power last chapter when she saved Roy. You'll see it again in this chapter and a hint of her other power._

 _I don't own anything and any mistakes will be revisited and corrected as much as possible. Thanks again and share your feedback! Have a great week!_

 **Mysteries Leading to More Mysteries**

It has been 7 months since Felicity started working at Queen Consolidated – so far, so good. She's been involved with a number of technical projects in the IT Department and Applied Sciences Division and has impressed her colleagues and superiors. She hadn't been able to work directly with Walter but there's enough on her plate to keep her busy. More projects meant long hours, not that she minded as it helped her mind focused and busy.

She found herself dead tired on a Friday evening after pulling all-nighters in the past week for an upcoming release. She just finished ordering a pizza and figured she'd get a quick shower in before her food arrives. It took her 15 minutes to shower and wore an MIT hoodie and lounge pants. She decided to relax in the couch, turn on her television when the sound of a single pair of hands clapping, echoing throughout her living room, bouncing off the walls, assaulted her.

"Hey, get off him" Jessica charged at the two men who were beating up a lanky teenager. She punched the bigger one in the stomach and kicked the other – both went down and groaned in the ground.

"Get away from him and never come back, or I'll call the cops" Jessica yelled. With that, the two scrambled and ran away. She turned back to the trembling teen and noticed he had a cut on his forehead and a bruise forming on his cheek. Jessica was going to ask if he was okay until she heard the sound of clapping and turned to the source.

"Leave him he's fine." the man who showed up at Barker Library. Killgrave was his name. "Yeah, he's fine." she responded.

"Oh Jessica, I was just debating where to eat and then there you are, performing feats of heroism. Come closer." he waved her over. She left the kid's side and walked closer to Killgrave. "Tell me, did you enjoy beating those thugs?" he asked, tilting his head.

"Yes." she answered without any hesitation. "Why?" Killgrave followed up, eyes squinting awaiting her response.

"Because I helped someone, I made a difference." she answered honestly with a smile on her face. Clearly thrown off, Killgrave responded with "Well, how noble".

He held his hand out in front of her and said "There's a fantastic Szechuan place right around the corner. You like Chinese. Come on. Come on. It's time for me to know everything about you". She took his hand and walked to the restaurant with him.

Felicity gasped and turned her head quickly as she was roused from a flashback by a knock on her door.

She shook her head and grabbed the baseball bat by her umbrella stand before checking her peephole camera. When she saw it was the delivery guy, she let go of the bat and grabbed the bills to pay the seemingly bored man. She grabbed 2 slices of pizza and grabbed the bottle of Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon which she was saving for a special or stressful day – obviously the latter was going to happen first. Felicity had Doctor Who playing in the background, and turned on her laptop. Since she was caught up with work, she'd do a bit of research on The Queens and Queen Consolidated. In one of the news articles, she read that the Queens Gambit sank during a heavy storm at sea in 2007.

Felicity couldn't ignore the doubt growing in the depths of her gut. Her mother, Donna Jones, ingrained in her to always trust her gut. And trust it she will. She makes a note to look into the wreckage, search parties, and location of debris. She may not know where to start but knows she'll eventually get to the bottom of it. Whether it's Jessica Jones or Felicity Smoak, either persona hates mysteries. She needs to approach this with a fresh set of eyes and a clear mind, so for now, she'll finish her pizza and binge-watch Doctor Who.

It turns out, she may have just found the opening she needed to dig deeper into her "personal" investigation. On a Monday night, she was informed by Evelyn that Walter Steele had asked for her. As soon as she hung up with Walter's assistant, she freaked out and catalogued her work for the past 7 months. She concluded she didn't do anything wrong, if anything she was a major contributor and value creator to the company. Huffing, she marched her way to the executive floors, determined to say her piece – she may be new but it would be a mistake to let her go.

"Why am I being fired? I am without a doubt the single, most valuable member of your technical division and that's including my so-called "supervisor". Letting me go would be a major error. " Felicity exclaimed in an indignant tone.

"I agree, Ms. Smoak, which is why you're not being fired." Walter responded, somewhat (just somewhat) amused.

"I apologize, I assumed when you brought me up here, it's because…" she responded sheepishly, but Walter interrupted "It's because I wanted you to look into something for me – a variance of $2.6M on a failed investment from 3 years ago. It was authorized by my wife. I was hoping you could find out some of the details of the transaction for me. Discreetly." he said as he passed her a folder.

Felicity nods at him and moves to leave "Will do. I'm your girl." she turns back to Walter to clarify "I mean - I'm the girl for this task. I'm not your girl-girl. I wasn't making a pass at you. Thank you for not firing me." She extricates herself from the awkward hole she managed to dig herself into and focuses on her new task. She's buzzing in excitement and couldn't wait to get started. The more she found out about this investment, this thing she was seeing called Tempest, the more suspicious and determined she is.

Felicity was finally able to squeeze herself in Walter's schedule 2 days later. She wanted to speak with him as soon as possible but he wasn't available.

"Mr. Steele, I have some information for you." she said getting straight to the point, doing a mental fist pump for not getting distracted. He gestures to the seat in front of him and she started sharing her findings "The company she invested in doesn't exist." Clearly caught off-guard, Walter responds "I don't understand."

"There was no investment. The money was used to set up an offshore Limited Liability Company called Tempest." she continued.

"I don't recall that name being under the Queen Consolidated banner." Walter countered. "Because it's not – there is nothing registered with the Secretary of State, no federal tax records, no patent applications filed. But in 2009, Tempest purchased a warehouse in Starling City." Felicity explained.

To the untrained eye, Walter seemed to be calm about all of this, but to her, she can practically feel the distrust emanating from him and sees him trying to put whatever puzzle pieces he has in his mind together. Breaking himself out of his own thoughts he took the folder that Felicity slid towards him and said "I appreciate your diligence on this, but, uh, I believe it this is just a simple misunderstanding between my wife and I. Everything will be resolved, I'll see to it."

Felicity breathed out and decided to go all in "Actually, there was something about the money transfer that felt hinky to me. The money your wife withdrew from the company, I wasn't the only one who tracked it. She was being shadowed by another entity, and whoever it is, they're good. NSA good. But, as you know, I'm good, too. So even though they left almost no trace of their presence in our system, I did manage to find one thing. Well, one image. Does that symbol mean something to you, sir?" she asked, pointing to a piece of paper in the folder she gave him.

"No. What means something to me is one of my employees prying into my wife's private business without authorization. And should it happen again, I'll have you suspended. Is that clear?" he asked firmly, no trace of friendliness or levity in his tone. She knows how to pick her battles. This is far from over so she just responded with "Crystal" and left. What's clear to her is that Walter is having his own doubts about The Queen's dealings and she hates mysteries too much to let it go. She'll keep her distance from this for now but will check her notes on her findings.

After her "mini confrontation" with Walter, she decided to clear her head and drive around the city. Tonight definitely calls for mint chip. She parks her car to the store's lot and heads to get some groceries and mint chip. She exited the grocery store after 20 minutes and was in the process of loading her bags into her mini cooper when she heard a muffled conversation, a whimper, and a shout-whisper.

Trouble - definitely trouble. In her haste, she closed the trunk of her car, dropped the rest of her groceries, and ran towards the noise as she became more certain that she was hearing an escalating argument. In the dimly lit part of the lot, she sees a Bentley a distressed young woman being yanked out of the driver's seat of the car. This looks like a drug deal gone bad, that is about to get even worse. "Hey, cut that out you're hurting her." She yelled as she ran to a stop in front of the car. Felicity eyes the younger woman who tried to put some distance between her and the man, effectively allowing him to get behind the wheel. "Mind your own business you bitch" he yelled at her as he shuts the door.

She turns to the whimpering girl, "Is this your car?" the girl doesn't answer at first until Felicity repeats "Hey, is this YOUR car?", the girl nodded. As the man started the car and turned on the headlights, Felicity put her hands in the hood of the car. "Get out of the fucking way, bitch or I'll run your head over." the man screamed.

She smirked and said "I'd like for you to try" as she began to lift the car. She hears an "Oh my God" from the girl who now was crouched behind her. "What the fuck is this shit?! Put me down you freak." the man shrieks, terrified at her demonstration.

"It's not a good idea to insult someone who literally has your life on their hands." she said as she lifts the car a foot higher before unceremoniously dropping it and yanking the man out of the driver seat. "I was just trying to make a quick trip to the grocery store but no thanks to you, dipshit, I have to make another trip. Now, you're going to give this young lady her car keys, apologize, give back the drug money, and stay the hell away from her." she demanded as she gripped him and held the guy face down on the hood.

"No way, that little bitch owes me money for my product." Felicity exhales and turns to the girl, "Hey, princess, whatever it is that he's trying to sell you, give it back. NOW!" The shocked girl grabs a small plastic bag with white powder in it and hands it over to Felicity. "Here, take your god damn product and give her money back".

As Felicity let go of the man, he made the mistake of trying to run but she grabbed the back of his neck and shoved him in the hood of the car. "I don't think you heard me, I said give back her keys and money and THEN stay the hell away from her. Money now and if you're lucky I'll let you leave with a bruise at best. You've seen what I can do. Don't try to make contact with her. Ever." The man reaches for his pocket, grabs a wad of cash, and runs away.

Felicity picks up the car keys and the cash and turns to the girl. "You were lucky. That guy would have robbed you and left you in the middle of The Glades for who knows what. If you have any sense of logic and self-preservation, you'd take this as a wake-up call and stop this whole thing." she said with authority as she hands the girl her stuff. "Thanks. I appreciate your help, I really do, but you don't know me or what I've gone through" the girl responded with attitude.

"Let me guess, rich girl went through some trauma and drama in life, decided to turn to drugs as a cry for help and/or a mean to escape. Is that close enough for you? Also, mind your tone - I just saved your life back there. I get it, life sucks and humanity is an asshole, but getting into drugs and engaging with questionable individuals will just fuck you up even more." she countered, starting to get annoyed. She was about to leave when she heard a quiet "You're right. Sorry". She felt bad but glad that she seemed to have gotten through the kid.

"Hey" she said softly. "Do you need me to call anyone? You're not hurt, are you?" The girl shook her head and said will just head home. "I don't think you're in any condition to drive. I'm Felicity Smoak by the way. I would also appreciate it if you could just keep whatever you saw between the two of us." she said as she extended her hand to the girl who upon closer inspection can't be more than 4 years younger than her.

"I'm Thea Queen. I won't say anything as long as you don't say anything about tonight" the girl negotiated as she shook Felicity's hand. "Only if you promise not to dabble or get into this type of crap again. I'm serious; this should be your wake-up call. I'm not judging but it'd be a damn shame for someone with a lot of potential to waste away." Felicity offered.

The girl eventually acquiesced and asked if Felicity could drive her home as she could get someone to pick up her car in the morning. "Of course, this person had to be a Queen" she thought to herself. Felicity looked around and found no cameras around the perimeter – a prime location for a drug deal, of course. "At least there's no need to delete any footage" she thought.

As they head back to her car, she noticed the mess created by the pint of mint chip that she dropped as she came to Thea's rescue. She throws away the bag and tells Thea to come with her inside the grocery store to pick something up.

Clearly, the cashier didn't care about what happened outside. She bought 4 cartons of mint chip. As they got in her mini, she hands a carton and spoon to Thea and tells her "Mint chip helps. Indulge". The younger woman nods with a small smile on her face and shoves a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth. They barely talk and Thea chimes in every now and then with directions.

As they pulled up to the Queen Mansion gates, Thea hands back the carton of ice cream, but Felicity refuses. "You need that more than I do, and I have like 3 more cartons. I suggest you stock up. I'm not trying to save you, but if you feel like you need to talk to someone who isn't a therapist or anyone familiar to you, you can give me a shout. I can keep secrets, don't worry. I also work at your parents' company so I guess it'd be easier for you to find me at QC." she says as she scribbles her number on the grocery receipt.

"Thanks, Felicity. I guess all of humanity isn't an asshole if someone like you is willing to help someone like me with nothing in return. I might take you up on that offer. Drive safely. Good night." Thea bid her goodbye and waved the carton of ice cream as Felicity drove away.

"I guess they are right, nothing good happens in The Glades." she muttered to doesn't slip her mind that her exchange with Thea was similar to one that she had with her best friend/sister, Trish, years ago. The other doesn't want to be saved, while it was still her who didn't want her abilities to be known by other people. No matter what she does, her past finds a way to creep up or mirror itself into her present.

She learned 2 things tonight: 1) there's definitely a lot more going on with The Queens and she might have just scratched the surface with Tempest, and 2) don't buy mint chip ice cream anywhere in The Glades again.

She was so wired and her brain wouldn't stop playing the events of the past few hours so she decided to turn around. She parked at a safe distance from a warehouse. Thankful of her abilities, she decided to shoot up and perch from a ledge as she found a black car pull over in front of the warehouse. She saw Walter exit the vehicle and tried a couple of passwords to open the warehouse. He finally got the doors to open.

Felicity made sure no one else was there and silently stayed in the shadows while keeping a good distance from Walter. She couldn't believe what she saw inside - the wreckage of Queen's Gambit. Based on his reaction, Walter couldn't believe it either. She was somewhat comforted that whatever this is, Walter isn't an active participant. If anything, he was just as suspicious as she was. Felicity hastily left to ensure Walter doesn't see her. She was glad she parked over 2 miles away from the other side from where Walter came.

She drove away and passed through downtown to be safe before finally driving tried to clear her head once she got home, but she couldn't, everything was still fresh – from Tempest, to Thea, to The Gambit. "What the hell is going on?" she thought as she stared at her laptop while eating ice cream.

Two weeks after the incidents with Thea and the warehouse, she was asked to go to Walter's office. "You wanted to see me, Mr. Steele? Did I mention, it's almost Christmas, and many of the suicides this time of year are due to sudden and unexpected joblessness?" she asked.

"Relax, Ms. Smoak, I want you to find out all you can about this notebook - where it was made, how it was purchased, and what it could mean." Walter clarified, handing her the notebook and as he saw her nod in acceptance of the new request, he continued "I asked Josiah Hudson, our head of security, to look into the same subject matter. He died the next day under questionable circumstances. What I may be asking of you could be dangerous. This mystery, are you sure you want to do this?".

"I hate mysteries. They bug me. They need to be solved." Felicity responded with conviction then left. Felicity studied the notebook. It's plain and she then thought, it could only mean one thing: a hidden message. Through elimination, she thought of different ways to hide writings on a notebook. She ran to the Applied Sciences Division and borrowed a black light fluorescent tube and bingo: the writings, more specifically, a list of names became visible. She made sure to create a database of the names in her personal and heavily encrypted laptop. The next day, she relayed the information to Walter who looked surprised. She informed him that she was looking into more information on the notebook and will keep it in her possession until she has more details. He agreed.

Felicity found herself staring at the database of names on her laptop and the information she found regarding Tempest. "No wine, I need to be lucid for this, as much as I don't want to be sober because of the severity of this thing. This isn't something I can walk away from now. Whatever this is, I need to get to the bottom of it and know the endgame. Whatever they did or are planning must be massive that they would go through all that trouble to deal with Robert Queen." she whispers and clicks on the photo of Robert Queen with his son, Oliver in a news article reporting their death.

"You're cute." she mumbles looking at Oliver's photo. "It's too bad you got mixed up in this mess and you're, you know, dead, which is obviously a lot worse for you than it is for me. I really need to stop talking to myself." she babbles to herself and decides to put a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth.

Felicity looks back at the database and decides that she'll start looking into the names and investigate any questionable activities and anything that could tie them to each other. "Okay, Charles Davenport, you're up. Let me see what you have done to earn yourself a spot on this mysterious list. It's time to get cracking." she mumbles as she starts clicking away at her laptop.


	4. Varying Degrees of Separation

_Here's an update! I found that writing this fic has been cathartic and I hope to be consistent with posting._

 _I originally thought this chapter didn't have enough elements but was surprised when I was going through it. I wanted everything to be in this chapter so I hope you enjoy the update._

 _Still unbeta'd and don't own anything. Comments, feedback, faves are all welcome. Mistakes are mine and I will try my best to revisit and correct them!_

 **Varying Degrees of Separation**

"Jessica, take care of him", the familiar voice yelled. She approached the man and she prepares to throw a full-strength punch.

Felicity jolts awake – eyes wide, looking around for an intruder, anyone. No one was there in her home. "Birch Street, Higgins Drive, Cobalt Lane" she chanted as she tried to calm her nerves. Felicity realized that she dozed off while researching Charles Davenport. She looked at the clock and saw that it was 4:18 AM. After taking a few calming breaths, she decided to get back to her detective work.

On the surface, Charles Davenport seemed like an upstanding elite citizen of Starling City. He is the CEO and Chairman of Davenport Mechanical Company and founded the Davenport Cancer Support Services of Starling City charity. She looked up his personal background and criminal history. He was clean.

Felicity doubted that the list is composed of all high-end do-gooders of Starling City. He must have done something or been involved with something for him to land on that list. Plus, her gut is churning the more she is looking into him, so she dug deeper.

The financials seemed off, a company that was barely breaking even 2 years ago suddenly found itself largely profitable when operating expenses appeared inconsistent. It took a while, but she was able to ascertain that Davenport was siphoning funds from the charity to minimize the operating expenses for his company.

"There's no way anyone else hasn't caught on to this," she thought. When she looked into the charity, the employees were mostly family and friends, specifically within SCPD and Starling's Treasury & Tax Collector Office. Sure enough, having friends in high places and giving them perks would keep investigators off his back. "This weasel withheld money intended for cancer patients and research activities and used it to cover his failing business," Felicity whispered, disgusted. She's gathered enough evidence to prove that funds were misused and for him to be charged. Davenport clearly has connections within SCPD to not let this go further. "Go big or go home then!" Felicity exclaimed.

"I guess the FTC is going to be alerted with a tip sufficient enough to launch an investigation into Mr. Davenport's affairs. Hmmm, for good measure, let's bring in the FBI… and maybe a mysterious media leak, that way, they won't have time to cover up," Felicity muttered to herself. There's no way Davenport can get out of this one – there will be too much visibility on his crooked operations for this to be ignored. She decides to put her thoughts on Davenport completely to bed until the FTC or the FBI does something. Felicity will check in again later and also picks another name to look research.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of her phone ringing. "Hello, this is Felicity" she answered.

"Uh, hi Felicity, this is Thea Queen. You helped me a few weeks ago. I hope I didn't catch you at a bad time," a timid voice responded. Truth be told, she was not expecting Thea Queen to take her up on her offer to chat, but she was glad Thea did.

"Hi Thea. Don't worry – your timing is impeccable as I just finished up a few tasks. How are you?" Felicity tried to sound casual but not flippant. She knew it must have taken a great deal of thought and self-assurance to do what the younger woman is doing.

"I just – I was hoping we could talk. I thought about your offer and the stuff that happened. As much as I wanted to get help, I don't think I'm ready to talk to someone else just yet so I figured I'd reach out to someone who knows. Would you be able to meet for brunch tomorrow at a place where we can talk?" Thea sounded nervous and hopeful.

"No need to explain. I offered my number for a reason and I'm glad you called. Yup, I'm free for brunch tomorrow. We can go to Café Lombard. It's pretty low-key and has a great brunch menu," Felicity suggested. She wanted Thea to be comfortable enough to talk without worrying if someone is watching or listening to them.

"That sounds great. I'll meet you there at around 11:30. Thanks again, Felicity. Bye," Thea responded sounding a lot lighter, as if she was relieved that Felicity agreed to speak with her. "See you tomorrow, Thea. Bye," Felicity said before hanging up.

"Well that was interesting," she thought. Despite the initial awkwardness, she was still delighted that Thea decided not to be consumed by grief, anger, and pain. She's no psychiatrist but hey, it's a step in the right direction. She just hopes she does end up giving the younger woman the support she needed.

Speaking of support, Felicity's thoughts wandered off to her best friend, Trish. As much as she wanted to have moved to New York with her, she needed to start fresh. No doubt, her adoptive-sister-turned-best-friend was supportive, but Felicity knew there was a hint of hurt when she decided to move to Starling City. She also decided this would also protect Trish in case something happens. That's why she created a new identity and developed a secure line between the two of them. She read on the news that Trish's new season premiered with series-high ratings. Felicity sent a text: "Congratulations on the new season and high ratings. Go get them, Hellcat!" A few minutes later, her phone buzzes with a text message "Thanks, Jewel (wink, wink). I miss you, call me sometime. Take care."

Felicity looked back at the database of names and the notebook. She still couldn't figure out the weird symbol on the notebook. She decided that Lee Heston would take center stage in her private research work. But first, to go and run errands, as adults do. This little private investigation can take the backseat for a few hours.

The following morning, Felicity started getting ready for brunch with Thea. She decided to dress casually with a pair of dark pants, boots, a thin sweater, and her trusty leather jacket. As she parked in the lot across Café Lombard, she felt like she was being watched. Felicity quickly turned around and found no one. She was certain she saw a flash of red. "Maybe I'm just hungry," she thought to herself and proceeded to walk towards the café. She was about to ask to get seated but she saw Thea already sitting and looking a tad bit anxious. She waves and walks to their table.

"Hi Thea, nice to see you," she greeted with a smile as she sat down in front of the younger woman. "Likewise. I'm glad you could make it, Felicity," Thea responded.

"Of course, I'm glad you reached out to me. Why don't we order and get that out of the way?" Felicity suggested. After flagging down their server and placing their orders, Thea started "Thanks again, for you know, that night. Ugh, this is weird."

"Hey" Felicity reached out to touch Thea's arm as a way to assure her, "No pressure. We don't have an agenda here - just food, drinks, which will likely come soon, and talk. There are no specific topics. Whatever is on your mind today and whatever it is that you're willing to discuss. There's another time for other things. Not that I'm saying, we'll have another chat. I'm not saying I'm not open to it. You know what I mean, right? And feel free to interject at any time."

That seemed to have put Thea at ease as the younger woman was chuckling. "I babble a lot in case you haven't noticed," Felicity added.

Their food arrived shortly after the ice was broken. "So, I don't know how much you've heard about me and my family, but it's been a rough few years. The whole thing with the drugs just made it easy to escape, until that night. I realized how badly things could have gone if I kept doing drugs. I don't think I can thank you enough for coming to my rescue," Thea said, wistfully.

Felicity looked at her for a beat and responded, "Life is always going to throw some random shit at us. Sometimes it will be pleasant, sometimes it will be devastating. Numbing yourself is just denying it and postponing the fallout. I'm not saying that when something awful happens, you're not allowed to feel. You are; everyone is. However, knowing it's real means you got to make a decision: one, keep denying it…or two, do something."

Thea nods in understanding. They start eating and ask each other questions about the other. "So I know you mentioned you work at QC. Did you grow up here?" Thea asked.

Felicity thinks of how much she should share. She figured if Thea trusted her enough to be open even for a bit, maybe she owes her to share a bit of who she is. At least give the girl an idea of who she is opening up to, right? She ended her internal monologue and answered "No, I was born and raised in Vegas, lived in New York, then moved to Cambridge when I studied at MIT."

"Are your parents still in Vegas? Do you have any siblings?" Thea inquired. Felicity took a deep breath. "Someone's bound to ask," she thought to herself.

"Uhm, my Father left my mom and I when I was 6. I can barely remember him and never really bothered to look him up, so I'm not sure if he's still alive. My mom, she uh, she died in a car accident when I was 14. I didn't have any siblings" Felicity said almost woefully. As much as she wanted to say that she did have an adoptive sister, that's part of Jessica's life which she doesn't want to share just yet.

Thea looked at her with a remorseful and horrified expression "Oh my God, I am so sorry. I shouldn't have asked!"

"Hey, don't worry about it. You deserved to know more about the person you're opening up to after all." Felicity assured Thea.

"I guess it makes me still lucky that despite losing my Dad and Ollie, I still have my Mom. I just wished she paid more attention instead of being so focused on QC. She just has so many expectations," Thea huffed.

"You know, maybe that's how your Mom is coping with everything. Have you tried meeting her halfway, like getting her opinion on college? She might be your Mom but she's not a mind reader. Give her some insight on what you want your relationship to be and go from there," Felicity suggested.

"Maybe I should ask her which college I should attend since I want a degree in business but also want to dabble in fashion design." Thea thought out loud. "There you go!" Felicity encouraged.

By the end of their meal, both women had discussed meeting up again. "This was nice. Thanks again, Felicity and I hope we could sit down again soon!" Thea said as she pulled her in for a hug. Surprised, Felicity awkwardly patted the girl before deciding to return the hug.

"You're welcome. Just, if something is bothering you – grab some mint chip, talk to anyone, or sketch some designs. None of that dangerous stuff, okay? Felicity said as they bid each other goodbye.

As she was heading to the parking lot, she felt like she was being watched. Granted, there are so many people in the city especially during the lunch hour, but it felt odd. She was waiting at the crosswalk when a bus passed her.

"Jessica! Get back here!"

Her breath hitched when she got lost in a memory and took in her surroundings. "Birch Street, Higgins Drive, Cobalt Lane" she muttered. She noticed that the light had already changed, so she hustled to the parking lot, eager to get to her car and drive home. "Get it together, Smoak," she tells herself.

When she got home, Felicity decided to start looking into Lee Heston. Mr. Heston was good at covering his tracks, but not Felicity Smoak good. After a few hours of digging, this fund manager invested mainly in high-risk options with poor results that he tried to hide with doctored account statements that grossly inflated performance. And of course, to further hide the losses, Mr. Heston misused funds from new investors to make Ponzi-like payments to earlier investors. Felicity finds more evidence and compiled a list of clients.

No complaints have been filed. "Until now," Felicity hollers to no one in particular. "Mr. Heston, you might want to prepare yourself for the SEC, FBI, and the media." She ensures that her online activities are untraceable and unrecognizable. The last thing she wants to do is to put a target in her back while attempting to live as low-key as possible. "I hope this effort isn't for nothing" she whispers to herself.

A week after her anonymous tips and leaks to the FTC, FBI, SEC, and the media, she receives a breaking news alert on her phone that says the FTC will be charging Davenport and his charity with fraud and for misusing of donation funds. Felicity smiles and glad the misdeed is out in the open and justice will be served.

Felicity saw that it was way past lunch time and decided to walk to the Indian place a few blocks away from QC that serves a mean lunch wrap and eat lunch at her desk. Thankful that there was no line and got her food immediately. On her way back, she swore she heard a familiar voice call out "Jessica!" She quickly turned around looking for the face of the man that plagued her college years only to be faced with random passersby heading back to their respective offices.

"Birch Street, Higgins Drive, Cobalt Lane" she mumbled on her way back to the office. "Get a grip," she tells herself, angrily. The hunger from earlier replaced by panic and frustration. She was about to angrily punch the elevator when she heard "Felicity!"

This time she knew someone did call her. When she looked to her left, she saw Thea walking arms linked with Moira Queen towards her. The younger woman smiled at her "Hey Felicity. How's it going? Are you just grabbing lunch?"

"Hi Thea, I lost track of time and saw that it was already 2:30 PM. How are you?" Felicity asked awkwardly. She turned to Moira Queen and decided to introduce herself "Hello Mrs. Queen, we've never met, I'm Felicity Smoak by the way.

Moira Queen was studying her with an unreadable expression on her face. Felicity thinks she's pretty good when it comes to reading people and the way Moira is examining her could only be described as how one would look at a salad with something crawling in it. Moira had extended her hand to shake the one that Felicity offered.

Before she could speak, Thea interjected, "Mom, this is my friend Felicity. Remember when I told you about a friend encouraging me to be more productive and inspired me to actually look into colleges? She's that person." And just like that, Moira turned to her and said "Well, it's a pleasure to meet someone who has a positive influence on Thea." You can see the shift in Moira's stare. Felicity has no idea what context Thea provided Moira about how they met so she figured not babbling would be a good call.

"I didn't do much motivating. Don't sell yourself short, Thea. I'd love to chat but I have to get back to work." Felicity said smiling at Thea.

"Oh please, don't be too humble, Felicity. I'll let you go but I hope we could catch up again soon," the younger woman responded. She bids the Queens goodbye and heads back to her office.

As she was in the elevator, she heard two suits talking about the SEC filing a charge against Heston. She mentally was fist-pumping and the panic that settled in her gut on her way to QC was ebbing away.

In order not to raise suspicion, she decides to space out her investigations and tips to the authorities. Felicity was also getting involved in more QC projects, so her personal research work took a bit of a backseat. She may have slowed down a bit in the past couple of months but the additional workload didn't stop her from tipping off the authorities regarding Paul Henry and Scott Morgan - two elite scumbags. The former for insurance fraud and the latter for embezzlement and theft from employee benefit plans.

In the past few months, she and Thea have been meeting up and talking - mostly Thea, as a way for the younger woman to talk through her issues while Felicity chimes in here and there with advice, comments, or suggestions. She was surprised when one day Moira Queen had come to her office just to say "Thank you for helping out my daughter work out some of her issues." She tried to play down her actions and told the older woman "It's nothing, Mrs. Queen. Though I'm glad to help, she just needed a friend at the time and I had an extra carton of mint chip and a willingness to listen." Some sort of understanding pass through them, then Moira left but not before thanking her again and shaking her hand.

She couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling she had with Moira. Perhaps it was Moira's way of talking to her and making sure that she doesn't have any ulterior motives with helping Thea or maybe the fact that she remembered that the older woman might be involved with whatever was going on with Tempest and the list. She lets it go for now as the Queen matriarch seemed to be genuinely grateful that she steered her daughter away from trouble.

A month later, while collecting information on her latest "target", her phone rings just as a breaking news story appeared on TV: "Lost Billionaire Found". The reporter says "Oliver Queen is alive." Felicity is shocked to say the least. "5 years. Nothing good couldn't have happened during that time," she sighs to herself, already feeling some sort of empathy for the man she never met. Felicity looks at her phone and sure enough it was a text from Thea: "Ollie is alive!" She has no idea how to respond. This is better than nothing, she thought: "I'm happy for you and your Mom! He'll need your support and you will have a lot of catching up. Call if you need to talk or process."

Felicity doesn't get to see Thea after her brother came back from the dead - understandable. However, Thea has been texting her and giving her updates. The girl is excited that her brother is back, disappointed that he's different and closed off, sad that her father didn't make it, and unsure what this means to their family. Felicity assured her that getting back into the swing of things may take time and she has to understand that her brother went through things that he may not be ready to discuss. "Give him time, support, and companionship. Ease yourselves back into each other's lives slowly. Lots of things happened," she texted.

She kept tabs on the Queens. Well, more of like paid attention to the nonstop coverage of the family. It's a bit hard to ignore the return of the scion after 5 years in some sort of island. She heard about Oliver Queen and his best friend Tommy Merlyn getting kidnapped but mostly unharmed just within days of being back and then being allegedly "saved" by a man in a hood. "Can't a guy catch a break?" she thought to herself. "A man in a hood? That's weird," she chuckled to herself, "Says the woman who has super strength and can fly."

As much as she'd like to think that it's just a Good Samaritan who didn't want to be recognized, this man in a hood is yet another mystery in Starling City waiting to be solved. "I hope this guy isn't a villain. Starling City needs as many guardians as possible".

A few more weeks pass and Oliver Queen coming back from the dead is still the talk of the town. Felicity attended an event that featured him stumbling and making a fool of himself on stage with his family. She bet her life that he was not drunk. She saw it – she's done it before to hide, cope, and deal. The man was "drunkenly" talking about how he's not much of a legacy. She thought that Ollie (not calling or referring to him by that name) or Oliver Queen did die on that island. This man is trying to find his humanity.

A week passes and Felicity hears a report about a Marcus Redman returning money to pensioners and then being charged. He was coerced to admit his crimes by a Vigilante wearing a hood. "Marcus Redman, that name is familiar" she wondered. She checks the database and that's where she knew the name. Coincidentally, she was just about to tip off the authorities that Ben Hawthorne is embezzling labor union assets. It made the news a few days later.

Felicity is concerned about putting herself in anyone's cross hairs as it seems the Vigilante has also been hitting up the same folks that she's targeting, albeit in a more confrontational and physical manner. Any victory she felt about Ben Hawthorne's arrest was replaced with curiosity about the Vigilante. It didn't help that 2 weeks later, Harold Moore was also forced into righting his wrongs and turning himself in by the Vigilante. "He's also on the list!" was Felicity's first reaction.

"Once is an accident. Twice is coincidence. Three times is an enemy action," she tells herself. Though the Vigilante is trying to rid the city of its corrupt and criminal elites, he's still resorting to violence. He has dropped some bodies on his path to cleaning up the city. She appreciates the end, just not the means.

"There's always another way," Felicity says as she stares at the database of names. "Maybe if he sees that someone is actively trying to do what he's doing without the killing part he'd reconsider," she thought. That's a big "if", but it's worth a shot. If the Vigilante pays attention to these types of crimes, perhaps he might also pay attention to the way that they are exposed, and maybe avoid some bloodshed along the way.

She sets out to find what she can about Doug Miller. Once she has valid and solid proof that he was defrauding the National Institutes of Health of federal grant funds for his personal use and gain, she immediately alerts the authorities and the media hoping that they'd charge him for making false statements, money laundering, and fraud.

As she sent the proof of Miller's crimes, she sent a silent plea to the Vigilante to reconsider his methods. She decided to review the reports on the Vigilante. Felicity doesn't really believe in coincidences. The fact that the Vigilante appeared right around Oliver Queen came back from the dead, it wasn't too far-fetched to believe that he is the Vigilante. "Plus, green is a color that makes for an excellent camouflage in a jungle or island and guess who just came back from an island," she muttered to herself. Though there was an instance where Oliver Queen was under arrest when the Vigilante made an appearance, she still couldn't shake off the feeling that he is the Vigilante or at the very least, working with him. She's unsure whether or not the man even operates alone.

Starling City just got even more interesting. Felicity has the reports on the vigilante saved in her encrypted laptop. She pulled up the news article of Oliver Queen stumbling through his "speech" during the QC event. "You really are some sort of a prodigal son, aren't you?" she whispers.

Unbeknownst to her, a man in a basement somewhere in The Glades was clutching a similar notebook, thinking of his next target and also wondering who might be keeping an eye on the people in this list - selecting them and exposing their crimes. "Who could this be? I hope in this case, the enemy of our enemy is indeed our friend, "he says to his bodyguard-turned-partner.


	5. Roads That Wind, Ties That Bind

_Hi everyone. Thanks again for continuing to follow this story and giving comments/f It's such a great motivation. It took me a bit longer to finish this chapter as I had a lot of work plus the fact that I'm getting ideas to future chapters, which I already planned. I wanted to make sure I sort things out before I forget some ideas._

 _Here's an update. I hope you enjoy it. Let me know what you think. Again, mistakes are mine and will be corrected at some point. I don't own anything and this isn't beta'd._

 _Thank you, all!_

 **Roads That Wind, Ties That Bind**

"Baby, you should try a bit harder to make friends at school", Donna suggested to her teenage daughter as they drove from Jessica's school to their new home. It's been a few weeks since they've settled in one of the more affordable suburbs of New York. Donna and Jessica agreed that they could use a fresh start in the East Coast.

"Mom, it's not that easy. Besides, I AM starting to make acquaintances. We DID just move here a few weeks ago. I'm sorry I'm not the social butterfly that you are," Jessica countered, slightly annoyed. She made some friends but it's still tough being the new girl.

"Honey, I didn't mean to push," Donna sighs, looks to her right and grasps her daughter's hand "I know it's hard and it's been a tough few years, but we Jones women can make things happen. We play the cards we're dealt," she said giving her daughter's hand a squeeze.

"I know and I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sna- Mom! Look out!" Jessica yelled, but it was too late. The sounds of crunching metal, glass shattering and her Mother's scream fill her ears just as her head snaps back after being hit by what she could only guess is a piece of metal. Jessica didn't get a chance to look at her Mother as she lost consciousness but not before feeling extreme pain and something wet on her skin.

Felicity wakes up gasping, covered in a sheen of cold sweat and choking on her tears. "Birch Street, Higgins Drive, Cobalt Lane," she repeated over and over until her breathing evened out. She looks out the window and sees that it was raining. "There's not a day that goes by that I don't miss you, Mom," Felicity whispered. Since sleep wasn't likely to come back to her, Felicity decided to get up and start her day. "4:02 AM – that should give me a head start with the notebook," she huffed.

Felicity sips her coffee. It was a rainy Saturday morning and she was already determined to look into Brody Wickham, an investment banker. She was an hour in her zone when she compiled a full list of the man's dirty deeds. As it turns out, Brody Wickham took at least $28M out of his clients' accounts for his own use - online trading, gambling, and personal expenses.

"Scum," Felicity muttered after she discovered he's been falsifying client account statements and moving cash from one account to another, while depositing the money from his clients to his own account. It was subtle and unless one knows what to look for – this would have been missed, at least for now. Unfortunately for Mr. Wickham, Felicity knew he's done something deplorable that requires an extensive search.

Felicity thinks her modus operandi of alerting the appropriate authorities and simultaneously tipping off the media will do. She sends an anonymous tip and leak, hoping "The Hood" figures out that it's the same person taking on a non-violent approach to their name-crossing exercise. She wanted to send a message to The Hood. Lately, she's noticed that his body count was going down - not completely. To Felicity, it is still a sign of progress, which she appreciates.

After sending her proof and leak, Felicity's curiosity got the best of her and she hacked into SCPD to see what the police have on The Hood. "This guy is putting a lot on the line to help save this city, and I'll be darned if it's all for nothing especially if I can do something," she vowed.

Felicity sifted through blotters, evidence logs, and crime scene reports – basically anything that mentioned The Hood. She's never been appreciative of a police department's backlog, until now. "This will probably break bad but it's for a good cause, I guess," She ordered for a partial print and blood sample to be destroyed. "Seriously?! Can you leave more traceable shit?! I shouldn't be this invested and yet here I am on a Saturday morning, committing felonies to help a guy help this city," Felicity said while shaking her head. "That should keep the police off his back for the time being," she thought as she started to get some of her real work done and run some diagnostics.

That night, somewhere in the old Queen Steel Factory, a serious discussion was brewing. "Diggle, before I confront Deadshot, I need you to do a recon on our next target, Brody Wickham," Oliver Queen in his full Hood gear walked towards his bodyguard- slash-associate, John Diggle – the man hired by Moira Queen to protect Oliver.

"I'll tail him in the next few days and reach out to some contacts to see if we could get more details. That said, Oliver, I want to know anything you find out about Deadshot. If this is bigger than what you think, I'll drop Wickham and help you with Deadshot - that's not negotiable," Diggle firmly responded. "On a separate note, do you think your little rival or helper is on to Wickham?" he asked.

"I will - just let me confront him first as The Hood and see what happens after. Regarding this other person exposing people in the list, I wouldn't be surprised if he or she is already looking into Wickham. I want to know who this person is – why he or she is doing this and how the targets are selected. It's good that he or she remains non-violent but I just hope there are no ties with the mob or some other person on the list," Oliver replied.

The two men come to an agreement and Oliver leaves to go after Deadshot. A few hours later, he comes back to their base and tells Diggle that Deadshot got away. "However, I managed to grab his laptop. This should help us," Oliver added.

"I hate to break it to you, man, but this is riddled with bullet holes. Even if there is something retrievable or useful from that thing, how are you going to get it? Last time I checked, you aren't even savvy with technology," Diggle asked, genuinely wondering how the laptop could be of use to them.

"I have it covered. Let's just say, tomorrow, Oliver Queen will have technical difficulties and will turn to QC's resources for help," Oliver responded with a hint of smugness.

"Still sounds weird when you refer to yourself in the third person," Diggle muttered, shaking his head.

Back in Felicity's townhome, the sound of her cellphone fills her living room. She checks the caller ID and surprised to see Thea Queen's name on the screen.

"Hey Thea, how's it going?" Felicity answered, surprise evident in her voice.

"Hey Felicity. Things are as fine as they could be when your brother turns up alive after being gone for 5 years. I was hoping we could catch up for lunch, say Monday? It's been a while" Thea said, sounding hopeful.

"Actually, let me check, I could've sworn I accepted a working lunch meeting invitation from my supervisor for this coming week," Felicity says while checking her calendar. "Monday is good. You're alright though?" she follows up.

"Sounds good. I'll swing by QC and meet you there. Things are good with my Mom. Ollie's well, I'm just glad he's alive and back with us," the younger woman sighed.

"Oh, Thea. It's going to be tough. The guy was away from civilization and his loved ones for 5 years. That's not easy to come back from, but you'll get there. Going by your stories, your brother loves you and your Mom, no island will ever change that," Felicity replied in an attempt to console Thea.

"You're right. I know things won't be like before, but I guess a part of me always wishes they could. Thanks Felicity. See you on Monday. Bye!" Thea said, sounding so small to Felicity. They both hung up and Felicity decided to get some real work and personal errands done.

On Monday morning, Felicity came to work early and got as much tasks done in the morning so she wouldn't rush her lunch with Thea. She was just finishing up the technical assessment for a QC software in pilot when she heard a different voice call her name.

"Felicity Smoak? Hi, I'm Oliver Queen," the man she has been observing and undoubtedly helping from afar materializes in front of her desk.

"Take the pen out of your mouth, take the pen out of your mouth," Felicity mentally berated herself before responding "Of course! I know who you are. You're Mr. Queen," she responded.

"Noooo. Mr. Queen was my father," Oliver charmingly replied.

"Right. But he's dead. I mean, he drowned," Felicity babbled. "WHY?! Just stop and ask why he's here! Abort. Abort." In her mind, Felicity was cursing herself and then tried to amend her earlier gaffe. "And you didn't. Which means you can come down to the IT department and listen to me babble. Which will end in 3… 2… 1…" she said as she pointed at him, willing him to just say why he's in her office and forget about the last 13 seconds.

She wonders why she's this flustered. "It's not every day that the guy you believe is The Hood pays you a visit in the middle of the workday at your office. There's no way he'd know it was me going through the list" she thought. She was relieved that Oliver Queen smiled at her and her regrettable word vomit.

"I'm having some trouble with my computer and they told me you were the person to come and see. I was at my coffee shop surfing the web and I spilt a latte on it." Oliver explained as if it was nothing.

"Really?" Felicity said no longer feeling flustered and yelling "Bullshit!" in her head.

"Yeah." Oliver confirmed.

"Oh so you are going with that. I can imagine the headlines, The Hood caught after giving the stupidest excuse in the history of excuses. Let's see how this goes," Felicity snarked in her head, thankful that she was indeed able to keep it to herself.

"Cause these?" Felicity points at the laptop before continuing "Look like bullet holes."

"My coffee shop is in a bad neighborhood," Oliver replied. Felicity tilted her head and gave him a look.

"If there is anything that you can salvage from it, I would really appreciate it," Oliver requested. Felicity just nodded her head, clearly not buying his excuses.

As Felicity prepares the laptop, she sees Oliver pull a chair to sit next to her. "Oh, great" she exhales.

When she was able to retrieve the data, she pulls up the last viewed file. "It looks like blueprints" Felicity pointed out.

"Do you know what of?" Oliver asked leaning and moving closer to Felicity.

Unaffected by the sudden closeness, Felicity answered "The Exchange building".

"Never heard of it," Oliver answered, shaking his head.

"It's where the Unidac Industry's auction is scheduled to take place. I thought you said this was your laptop," Felicity questioned. If there was any doubt that Oliver is The Hood before, this might have just decimated that.

"Yes," He mechanically responded - still not budging.

"Look, I don't want to get in the middle of some Shakespearian family drama thing," Felicity countered. She didn't want to have another discussion with Walter after he gave her a talking-to about looking into Moira's affairs.

"What?" Oliver asked looking to and from Felicity and the computer genuinely confused.

"Mr. Steele marrying your mom - Claudius, Gertrude Hamlet?" she clarified only to be told "I didn't study Shakespeare at any of the four schools that I dropped out of," by Oliver.

Trying to put it as clear as possible to the confused arrow-wielding vigilante, Felicity related, "Mr. Steele is trying to buy Unidac Industries. And you've got a company laptop associated with one of the guys he's competing against."

"Floyd Lawton" Oliver gritted.

"No. Warren Patel," Felicity corrected. "Hold on, that name sounds familiar", she thought. "Who's Floyd Lawton?" Felicity asked, making a mental note to look into that name later.

"He is an employee of Mr. Patel, evidently" Oliver replied, tension evident in his features.

Before she could ask any further, she hears a familiar voice "Hey, Felicity. Are you ready? Ollie?" Thea asks, her tone changing from cheerful to confused.

"Thea! " Oliver and Felicity say simultaneously and looked at each other.

A beat passes and Thea breaks the obvious confusion. "I didn't know you two are friends" Thea says with a smirk on her face.

Before Oliver could respond to his sister Felicity said "No, we're not. He just needed some technical assistance." Turning quickly to him, she added "Not that being friends with you is such a horrendous thought – I'm just saying, I'm just helping him out."

The Queen siblings look at her, both amused. "Walter suggested I reach out to Felicity as she is the best in IT," Oliver clarified, smiling at Felicity before turning to his sister.

"Well, I was just about to come get Felicity for lunch. We had plans. Though you could join us, Ollie," Thea offered, the hopeful tone was hard to miss.

Oliver looked hesitant and turned to Felicity and said "Well, I don't want to intrude."

Felicity shook her head, sensing the anticipation in Thea's voice and said "Nonsense! You're more than welcome to join us."

"Great, let's head over to Big Belly Burger!" Thea chirped as they all made their way out of QC.

Oliver was quiet and content as he looked at the two women talking. When they got to the burger joint, they found a booth and waved over a server to get their orders. After the server left with their orders, Oliver asked "So how do you two know each other?"

Thea looked at Felicity to see if she should talk about their meeting. Felicity gave her an encouraging nod. "Felicity helped me out when I got into some trouble. We became friends soon after and she ended up helping me with some of my issues and encouraged me to do better in school," Thea answered a grateful smile on her face. Felicity just shrugged and smiled back at the siblings.

Throughout their meal and the light conversations and teasing, Felicity found herself under Oliver's gaze. Every time they would make eye contact, she would just smile and look at Thea. At one point, Thea caught the two of them gazing at each other and cleared her throat, a knowing grin plastered on her face.

Thea was cataloging her brother and her friend's interactions. Amused at the tension and heated looks, she decided to change the topic, "So Felicity, just curious, since the news of this hood guy is inescapable, what do you think of him?"

She finished chewing and turned to Thea, seeing Oliver lean a smidgen forward out of the corner of her eye, "While I don't agree with his methods, I think he's a hero. Don't get me wrong, he could do a lot more than going after the corrupt 1 percenters, but we all start from somewhere I suppose," Felicity responded coolly, surreptitiously checking Oliver's reaction. He wasn't giving much of a reaction, but he does seem contemplative.

"Really?" Thea inquired, wondering why her friend thought so.

"As questionable as his methods and weapons are, he's still doing a better job than the police and the politicians. Anyone who is willing to risk his or her own life for the good of others can be considered a hero or a herione. It would be better if he dropped less, or even better - no bodies, but he has changed. Besides, it's not like there's a Vigilante 101 class that he could learn from, I'm hopeful we'd see him do things differently," Felicity explained and quickly glanced at Oliver.

"I guess you're right. Although I take issue with your point about the weapons – I think they're cool. "What about you, Ollie, any thoughts on The Hood?" Thea wondered.

"I still think the guy is a psychopath, he's dangerous. I'm not so convinced he's a hero. Maybe a violent man with a chip on his shoulder?" Oliver answered, the hint of playfulness gone, replaced with a tinge of emptiness.

Felicity looks at Oliver and it clicks. This man survived those hellish years only to go on a warpath against the elite evil doers of his city. He's so focused on his mission that he's lost sight of his own purpose and vision. Her heart breaks a little and hopes it isn't too late.

"They say everyone's born a hero. But if you let it, life will push you over the line until you're the villain. The problem is you don't always know that you've crossed that line. Maybe it's enough that the a few people think he's a hero," Felicity defended, looking directly at Oliver.

Oliver just stared back at her with an unreadable look on his face.

"So, this is what it looks for Felicity Smoak to fangirl. I can just imagine Felicity meeting The Hood and flirting with him," Thea teased, resulting in a blushing Felicity and breaking the heaviness that fell on their table.

"I don't flirt. I just say what I want." Feeling a little bolder, Felicity added "Plus, how do you even know he's into women?"

As if on cue, Oliver choked on his milkshake while Felicity mentally fist pumped. "You okay, Ollie?" Thea asked.

"Yeah, tried washing down the fry with a big gulp of milkshake, not a good idea," Oliver explained, flushed and clearing his throat.

After a few more minutes, Felicity bid the Queens goodbye, "As much as I had fun, I have to get back to work. Thanks for lunch and my treat next time, Thea. Nice to meet you, Oliver," she said as she gave Thea a hug and shook Oliver's hand.

As they watched Felicity disappear from their view, Oliver turned to Thea, "I'll walk you to your car." To Thea's surprise, her brother got in the passenger seat of her car instead of saying goodbye.

Before she could start the engine, Oliver turned to his sister "Thea, when you said Felicity helped you when you got in trouble, what did you mean by that? I know I haven't been open since I got back but I still worry about you and Mom."

Thea played with her key fob and said "Promise not to freak out until I finish my story?" Oliver nodded and she sighed loudly "Okay, so I was buying drugs from a dealer who got a little violent…"

"What?! Drugs, Speedy?!" Oliver exclaimed.

"You promised not to freak out!" Thea reminded him, shame already filling her.

"I know, but Thea…" he wanted to continue, but Thea finished her story.

"Anyway, Felicity interfered and erm, roughed the guy up a bit," Thea recounted to Oliver's surprise. "She snatched the coke from me and threw it at the guy and told him to give my money back and leave me alone," Thea continued

"Wow" Oliver breathed out. He wouldn't have guessed that the woman he just had lunch with saved his sister in many ways. "Remarkable" he thought.

"Yeah. Then after that, she offered to call someone for me but I asked her to drive me home. She did, but she also served some truth tea and mint chip. That was my wake-up call. I took her up on her offer to talk since I wasn't ready to talk to Mom just yet or anyone else. Also, she doesn't judge and is good at keeping secrets. She encouraged me to be a bit more open to Mom and focus on school. We became friends and I've been clean since," Thea said and looked at her brother.

"As much as it pains me for you to go through that and that I wasn't there to help, I'm happy you had someone," Oliver responded trying to be as understanding as possible.

"Yeah, she keeps downplaying it, even when we ran into Mom. She's like that, a humble heroine. I guess it takes one heroine to know a hero," Thea alluded to Felicity's stance on The Hood.

Oliver shook his head and replied as he was about to get out of his sister's car "Remind me to thank her next time I see her."

"Oh there will definitely be a next time, and it'll be awesome," Thea said just as Oliver slammed the door. She didn't hear her brother calling out "Speedy" as she pulled out of the lot and drove away, chuckling to herself.

Back in The Foundry, Diggle was watching the news as Oliver made his way down the stairs. "Well, you were right, The Hood's little helper was all over Wickham's business. The FBI and SEC are launching investigations after they have reason to believe he stole over $20M from his clients. I don't know how I feel about this, Oliver."

Oliver furrowed his brow. "This person definitely has the list - too many coincidences. On one hand, this person is just exposing the crimes, but on the other I'm not too keen with someone out there with access to the names on the list," he said while tossing the notebook on the table.

"So what do you plan to do about this person? None of the authorities were able to identify or even do a trace. They think this person or even group is associated with Anonymous, that hacking activists group." Diggle noted.

"We continue with our list and as long as this person doesn't present any danger or get in our way, I say we let him, her, or them. If we find something that can lead to this helper, then we follow it. I don't want us to turn a blind eye on this, but we need to focus on the list. We're bound to cross paths" Oliver resolutely answered before adding "I ended up getting information on the laptop and it looks like Warren Patel hired Deadshot." The two men ended up spending the night planning how to deal with Patel and Deadshot.

A few weeks later, news of Warren Patel's arrest was the talk of the town. Felicity confirmed after her odd meeting with Oliver that his name was, indeed, in the notebook. A week before, Oliver and his insanely muscular bodyguard, John Diggle, came up to her to lookup a "friend", which obviously wasn't the case. Thanks to his lame excuses, his timing, and the evidence, Felicity was 100% sure that Oliver is The Hood. She believes John Diggle is aware of his client's activities and possibly helping him. Each time she hears one of his excuses, she makes a snarky comment to the amusement of the two men. A part of her wanted him to continue coming to her for help, because that way, she's confident that he's getting information in a safer method and not risking exposure.

She had just started the process of troubleshooting security infrastructure devices for QC when she pulled out her tablet and checked the names on the list, to choose her next target. Felicity was so focused on the tablet that she didn't hear anyone approaching her desk.

"Hey" Oliver greeted with a tilt of his head.

Felicity almost threw her tablet at the intruder, surprised he was able to sneak up on her. "Don't you knock?" she gasped while locking her tablet.

"Felicity, this is the IT department. It's not the ladies room," Oliver cheekily reminded her with a smile on his face.

"Right. What can I do for you?" she asked getting down to business after having calmed down.

"My buddy Steve is really into archery. Apparently it's all the rage now." Oliver replied.

"Oh this is going to be good," she thought. "I don't know why. It looks utterly ridiculous to me," Felicity mentioned, waiting for his reaction.

For a flash, there was a hint of surprise in Oliver's eye but it was gone just as quickly as it appeared. "Mm-hmm. Anyway, it's Steve's birthday next weekend, and I wanted to buy him some arrows. The thing is, he gets these special custom-made arrows, and I have no idea where he gets them. I was hoping you could find out where this came from," he explained as he popped open a tube and pulled a black arrow. "Careful" he added.

"Yeah" Felicity responded. "Did he need to ask?" she said to herself. She supposed that since this isn't one of his arrows then there must be another archer in town.

After a few keystrokes, she found some information and told Oliver "The shaft's composite is patented. And that patent is registered to a company called Sagittarius. That's Latin for the archer."

"Really? Could you find out where and when this was purchased?" Oliver inquired further.

"According to Sagittarius company records, that particular arrow was part of a bundle shipment - sent to this address," she answered as she wrote down the address on a piece of paper and handed it to Oliver.

"Felicity," he smiled as said her name breathily. "You're remarkable," he continued as he took the paper from her, brushing his fingers against hers.

"Thank you for remarking on it," she simply responded.

"I also wanted to thank you for what you've done for Thea. She told me everything. What you did - was brave, admirable, and extraordinary. I'm grateful that she has a friend like you in her life. You've become more of a sibling to her than I was," Oliver acknowledged and expressed his thanks.

"Don't say that. She adores you and I think she understands that it's not going to be super easy to come back as if nothing happened. I'm glad to have met Thea too. She's a good kid, yes, she made a mistake but she deserves to get a fresh start. I was just in the right place and in the right time. I told her she should thank my love for mint chip," she joked as she saw the intense look that Oliver was giving her.

"Again, thank you and Merry Christmas," he said as he moves to leave.

"I'm Jewish," Felicity blurted out.

"Happy Hanukkah, then," Oliver corrected.

"Oh and Oliver" she called out as he was about to leave. He turned to her as she told him "Limit your exposure".

There was a flash of panic in Oliver's eyes and she could see the moment he tensed. He willed himself to respond with "Sorry?"

"With your friend Steve, you want to be discreet and make sure he doesn't know what you're planning. You know, for his birthday gift," she uttered slowly, putting a bit of weight in her words while maintaining eye contact and a smile.

"Right. The arrow. For Steve's birthday. Will do. Thanks!" Oliver babbled as smoothly as he could - worry still evident on his features but somewhat relieved.

"Alright, Merry Christmas, Oliver" she said, bidding him goodbye as he left her office.

Smoak 1, The Hood/Oliver 0


	6. Friends in Strange Places

_Hi everyone! Thanks again for continuing to follow and share feedback on this story. Keep 'em coming!_

 _I've mentioned before introducing Oliver that I'm laying the groundwork for Felicity settling in Starling and the conditions that he will come back to – well now, you'll notice that we'll start ramping up. From this point forward, you'll read a bit more about how the Jessica persona affects the Felicity one as well as how the people around her react._

 _I went a little overboard with this chapter with all the things I wanted to cover and ended up with 7,000+ words (I regret nothing). Please note that this won't be the norm. I got a little overexcited and didn't have the heart to cut this short or move some of the plot over the next one. I'll also start to incorporate flashbacks in the middle of the chapters, so I will have to use italics to differentiate flashbacks. I'll continue to sprinkle in some of the dialogue from both shows._

 _Thanks for your patience and I hoped that the crumbs I've scattered in previous chapters help. Let me know what you think. Again, I don't own anything and this isn't beta'd. If I ever encounter mistakes, I will try to correct them._

 _Cheers and Happy Holidays!_

 **Friends in Strange Places**

 _Jessica knew that the task is complete as soon as the nameless man landed hard on the ground after her bloody fist collided with his chest. She trudged away, like a zombie, with blood on her hands when she heard the familiar voice yelling at her, "Come back here! Jessica?" She turned around, dazed. She ignored his calls and continued to walk away. He yelled again "Now, Jessica!" Suddenly, the sound of a bus horn fills the streets. Jessica looked back just in time to see the bus swerve. It landed on its side and effectively crashed into Killgrave, the other man, and a few of the parked cars on its way. She stumbled slightly and walked away._

The loud bus horn that snapped Felicity from a horrible memory caused her to elbow her window, which almost shattered upon impact. "Shit," she muttered, when she noticed that the bus was still incessantly honking at her because the light had already turned green. "Birch Street, Higgins Drive, Cobalt Lane," Felicity repeated on her drive home.

It was a long and challenging day for Felicity, who left QC at around 9:30 PM - later than she would have liked on a Friday. Her supervisor gave her an increasing stream of projects and tedious asks. She didn't mind the extra work. Felicity appreciated it to a degree since it kept her mind from wandering, but the man made a comment about her having a lot of room on her plate that she's able to entertain "Mr. Queen". Oliver's frequent visits and progressively ridiculous excuses were met with snark and banter. At least in his last couple of drop-ins, he had the decency to stop by after business hours when her supervisor was done for the day.

Incredibly wired, she didn't want to call it a night just yet. A few blocks from where she lived, Felicity noticed there was a dive bar that she's never visited. "Tonight seems like a good time for a maiden visit," Felicity declared to no one in particular. When she slammed her door shut, pieces of glass from her broken car door window fell on the ground. "Well, shit."

Once she got inside her place, she changed from her work clothes to a pair of jeans, a sweater, and her trusty black jacket. She sees her car window and sighs while putting a reminder on her phone to get it to the body shop in the morning.

It took Felicity 15 minutes to reach her destination. She went inside, noting just a handful of patrons. She sits at the bar and orders a Scotch, neat. She pulls out her phone and opens a PDF file she saved several months ago about a bus crash that killed 5. Felicity looked at the highlighted text with the names of three victims and mentions of 2 John Does.

The bar tender sets her drink in front of her and Felicity told him to keep a tab open for her. He nods and moves to the other end of the bar. "If only the reporters knew the truth about the 2 John Does," she thought. Then she wondered what happened to the bodies and looked up any recent articles regarding the bus crash. They were never formally identified and no missing persons were tied to the accident. A lump forms in her throat.

Two glasses later, she was about to order another when she heard "Lot of booze for such a small woman." Felicity puts her phone down and looks up at a smirking face she recognized but never officially met.

She decided to give as good as she got, "I don't get asked on a lot of second dates."

"I don't believe that for a second," he says as he extended his hand to introduce himself "Tommy Merlyn. Is this seat taken?"

"No it isn't, help yourself, Merlyn. Felicity Smoak," Felicity said as she shook his hand.

"You can just call me Tommy," he suggested.

"Nah - I'll stick with Merlyn, unless you prefer I call you Thomas." Felicity countered

"And why is that?" Tommy asked, intrigued, as he waved over the bartender.

"Well, a) we didn't grow up together for the name to carry over and b) you're no longer a teenager," Felicity answered as she got started on her third Scotch.

"Fair enough, I'd call you Smoak but Felicity is too lovely of a name to pass up. Wait, you're Thea's friend, right? She's been raving about you," Tommy commented. When the bartender came over, Tommy told him "I'll have whatever this lovely lady is drinking; a Scotch, neat from what it looks like." The bartender nodded and set off to get Tommy's drink.

When the bartender returned with Tommy's drink, Felicity confirmed "Yes, I am. I don't know how I feel about being the topic of conversation in your billionaire's club."

"You have nothing to worry about, it's all good. She loves you and even Moira has dropped a positive comment about you being a good influence. That's a rarity, especially for someone she barely knew. I'm glad Thea met you. She's had a tough few years. Thea also made questionable decisions when it came to friendships and acquaintances," Tommy remarked.

"She's a good kid who just needed a bit of a nudge towards the right direction. We all stumble a bit. What matters now is that she's clean and making an effort to better herself," Felicity said as she clinked her empty glass against Tommy's.

"Agreed. I was wondering, what brought you to this place. This doesn't seem like your kind of scene." Tommy pointed out as he signaled to the bartender to refill their drinks.

"Do I need an excuse to unwind at the end of a long week? This place happens to be close to where I live, so I thought I'd give it a shot. The same can be said of you, Merlyn. A dive bar?" Felicity teased. The bartender set their drinks and left them alone. The bar still just had a few patrons, which Felicity preferred.

"Really? What gave that away?" Tommy asked smiling.

"I don't know, Merlyn, the Rolex, designer clothes, and you also took a few beats to get comfortable," Felicity enumerated as she made her point.

"How observant! You're right. This isn't my usual scene but hey, there's nothing wrong with trying new things. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have run into you," Tommy answered with a hint of seriousness as he held Felicity's inquisitive gaze.

"So I told you what brought me here, what about you?" Felicity probed as she took a gulp of her drink.

"My wonderful Father cut me off – froze my trust fund, accounts and that shit. He said he didn't want to keep supporting me until I stop embarrassing the Merlyn name," Tommy grumbled bitterly as he slammed his glass on the counter, to the bartender's annoyance. Gone was the playfulness from earlier.

"And here you are drinking with a stranger. What are you going to do about your Father and the job situation? Not that you have to feel obligated or anything. I didn't mean to prod," Felicity babbled to her new companion's delight.

"You're not a stranger and I don't mind. I'm working on getting a job," Tommy whispered.

Felicity decided to share her thoughts in the safest way possible "It seems to me like Daddy Dearest just wants you to be a better version of yourself. And before you bite my head off, I will say that he could have chosen a different and less upsetting approach. Although that's probably how most rich kids are threatened by their parents to behave. Put yourself in his shoes, Merlyn."

"You're right and I'm working on it. I have some decent job prospects," Tommy responded.

"There you go," Felicity encouraged. "But that's not what's bothering you," she said with a knowing look.

Tommy turned to her, "You're right. Again. Damn, Felicity. Are you like a billionaire whisperer or something?"

"Well, I wouldn't say that since you're not a billionaire at this time. But I guess Thea counts," Felicity joked as she signaled the bartender for her tab.

Tommy's laugh suddenly echoed in the bar, "Good one!" After he regained his composure, he shifted in his seat and confided "I have this recurring thought that my girlfriend, who used to date my best friend before his accident will tell me that she still loves him - like I'm some sort of stopgap. She didn't say that or give any indication that she wants to break up. You must think I'm pathetic."

"While I think it's not completely unreasonable for you to worry, you have to trust her and what you two have," Felicity started as she finished signing her bar tab. "She and your best friend will always have history. History, meaning the past. If the two of you are really it for each other, then that will outweigh whatever history they had. One word of advice before I leave, instead of waiting for the other Merlyn-concocted shoe to drop, make the most out of your relationship with her. Shit will happen if you keep second-guessing her decision to be with you. Don't drive her away because of doubt," Felicity said as she clapped his shoulder. "Nice talking and drinking with you, Merlyn."

Tommy silently listened to her as she doled out advice. Felicity was talking to the bartender and was about to make a move towards the door when he called out, "Hey, Felicity! Thanks. I needed to hear that. And I was wrong - Thea didn't completely suck at choosing her friends."

Felicity smiled and walked away.

Tommy ordered one more drink and mulled over Felicity's words. When he motioned to the bartender to close his tab. The bartender shook his head and told him "You're friend already took care of it. Heck of a tipper too, that one. You're good to go, buddy." The bartender gave him a piece of paper and left.

He opened it and all it said was "This one's on me, Tommy. Best of luck." He folded the paper and tucked it inside his wallet. "Well this bar was worth the visit," Tommy remarked with a grin on his face as he finished his drink.

On her trek home, she saw a hooded figure by one of the building ledges. A wave of panic rushed through her and she looked around. "Birch Street, Higgins Drive, Cobalt Lane," Felicity started chanting quietly as she walked faster. 2 more blocks. When she looked back, she caught a better glimpse and saw that it was a green hooded figure. She exhaled in relief and continued walking. She thought, "Doesn't he have better things to do than walk slightly buzzed women home from a distance?" Felicity apparently said that out loud, enough for The Hood to hear. She realized this because she heard an odd sound which she would later identify as a modulated chuckle. When she got to her doorstep, she made a grand gesture to the direction she knew The Hood was at, fished for her keys, and went inside her home.

From his spot in one of the buildings, Oliver shook his head in amusement at Felicity's antics after she stopped panicking and realized it was The Hood. He didn't know what made him follow her home. He turned around and went back to The Foundry.

The following morning, Felicity took her car to the body shop closest to her place where she was given a reasonable quote and told her the car will be ready in no more than 2 hours. When she got back home, she started looking into her newest target, Andro Macoish. She had the TV playing in the background when the local news flash broke her concentration: "This just in, Thea Queen who was involved in a car crash in the early hours of the morning and brought to Starling Medical Center with very minor injuries is expected to be charged with a DUI. There are no other injuries or casualties reported. More to follow after the break."

"No, that can't be right" was Felicity's first thought. Thea was committed to staying away from drugs and she was fine the last time she saw her and talked to her. She didn't want to form an opinion until she knew the facts and talked to Thea. She was about to hack into SCPD when her phone rang. It was Oliver.

"Hello, Oliver?" she greeted. They had exchanged numbers soon after he started asking her to look up things for him.

"Felicity. Hi. Is this a good time to talk?" Oliver asked. The frustration is evident in his tone. Who wouldn't be frustrated at a time like this?

"Yes, it's fine. I, uh, saw the news. Is she ok?" Felicity asked tentatively, unsure how Oliver would react.

Oliver informed her, "Physically she is, but then she found out she had Vertigo in her system and she was going to face charges for driving under the influence. She's been a bit hysterical. She, uh, asked for you. Felicity, I don't mean to impose, but would you be able to come by Starling Medical today? Thea's upset and claims that she didn't take Vertigo and that you would believe her."

"Uh, yes. I need to go pick up my car from the body shop and I'll head over to the hospital." Felicity confirmed.

"I could send a car over to pick you up," Oliver offered.

"No need, Oliver. The shop is close to where I live. I'll give them a call to make sure they're done. I'll go straight from there. Just tell her, I'll swing by," Felicity assured him.

"Thank you, Felicity. I'll see you later." Oliver said as they hung up. Turning to Diggle he asked, "Is everything in order for tonight?"

"We're all set to meet with The Count," Diggle confirmed.

On the other side of town, Felicity made her way to the body shop after checking if her car was ready. She tried to think of scenarios of how this could have happened to Thea. It wasn't looking good. She was determined to uncover the truth, even if it will mean a negative outcome for her friend, who she believes is innocent until correctly proven otherwise.

As she reached the hospital, she checked Oliver's text for Thea's room. She was rounding the corner when she saw some police officers and some suits, who appeared to be lawyers, exiting Thea's room. She spotted Oliver and called out to him, "Oliver, how is she?"

"She's frustrated especially since they won't release her until the drugs are flushed out of her system," was all he could say as he guided her to his sister's room.

"Hello Mrs. Queen," Felicity acknowledged before turning her attention to the younger woman, "Thea, what happened? Are you okay?"

"Felicity! I'm so glad you're here," Thea exclaimed holding on to Felicity's arm. "You have to believe me, Felicity. I didn't take Vertigo. I'm clean. I don't know how I was dosed, I swear," the younger woman said hoping for people to believe her. Felicity's heart clenched at the desperation in her tone.

Felicity turned to look at Oliver who stared back at her. She encouraged Thea, "Tell us what happened, from the beginning, try to remember as much detail as possible."

Thea huffed out "My friends and I were going to a party by the Waterfront. We were just going to hang out, dance, possibly meet with boys, and have drinks at most. Elise, Sloane, Brooke, and Charlotte don't do drugs and neither did the boys we hung out with; I'm being honest, you can check with them. I don't hang out with people who do drugs anymore."

Felicity squeezed the younger woman's arm, silently willing her to continue.

"I had one gin and tonic, and that was it. I had soda for the rest of the night. I wasn't even planning on getting buzzed because I wanted to drive home. I left at around 12:30. The next thing I know my car had crashed and the police and EMTs were trying to tend to me," Thea explained.

Felicity decided to dig deeper, "What was the last place you remember? Did any of your friends say anything about where they last saw you and who you were with?"

Thea tried to jog her memory, "I said goodbye to Sloane and drove away. I was alone. I planned to buy food from the Cheesesteak place on Folsom but apparently I didn't, because I came to and the car already crashed. Felicity, you have to believe me when I say that I didn't take Vertigo."

Felicity tried to comfort the younger woman, "I do, Thea. We just need to figure out the missing pieces, okay?"

"I hope so - because I am not taking that plea bargain offer" Thea yelled, looking at her Mother.

"Plea bargain? What's going on?" Felicity asked, confused.

"The DA is offering Thea a plea bargain," Oliver explained to Felicity who looked back at him with an incredulous expression.

"It's the best for everyone involved. I appreciate you stopping by and offering your support, Ms. Smoak, but we will treat this as a family matter," Moira said with finality.

"But what part of I didn't take the drugs willingly does everyone not understand," Thea yelled.

Felicity squeezed Thea's arm and told her "Hey, I believe you. I'll see what I can find out, okay? I'll be back."

Felicity eyed Oliver and beckoned for him to follow her outside.

They walked to the balcony. Oliver shut the door behind him and asked "What are you thinking?"

She replied, "I'm thinking your sister is innocent and having her take the plea bargain is a mistake. We can't give up on her until we know for sure what happened!"

Felicity's use of the pronoun didn't go unnoticed, "We?"

"Yes, we. I know I'm not family and your Mother clearly dismissed me already. Clearly, Thea needs more people on her side seeing as most of the folks around her think she's guilty. I get it, it sounds ridiculous to even insist that she's innocent, but she is. And I know you believe her too. Give me until tomorrow," she said, refusing to back down.

Unsure what she meant, he asked "Tomorrow for what?"

Felicity clarified, "To help, to get to the bottom of things - you know what I can do. I've helped you with your requests. Don't let her accept punishment for a crime she didn't commit."

"I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks Thea is innocent," Oliver said as he gave her a small smile and an arm squeeze. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet, I haven't done anything. You should get back to your family. I'll let you know when I find something," Felicity responded as she gave his hand a squeeze in return.

A few seconds pass and they decided to move – Oliver back to Thea's room and Felicity down to the garage.

Felicity's drive home was mechanical and quiet as she focused on a starting point. She planned to hack into the club's security feeds and traffic cameras to follow Thea's car. Andro Macoish will have to wait, unfortunately.

She plopped down on her couch with laptop on hand. "We'll save you, Thea," she whispered before she got lost in a memory from a few years ago.

"How am I doing this?" teenage Jessica asked herself while she lifted the marble counter she accidentally broke over her head. She was so fascinated by her newly-discovered ability that she was almost able to block out the muffled voices outside the bathroom door.

"I'm not going to punish you! I'm just trying to help you! Come back here" her adoptive Mother, Dorothy, called out as Trish entered the bathroom and slammed it shut. The two teens looked at each other with matching expressions of suspicion and concern. Jessica set the slab of marble down.

 _"_ _What happened to your shoulder? You're hurt. She hurt you," Jessica exclaimed._

 _"_ _You were holding a 150-pound chunk of marble over your head," Trish pointed out_

 _They asked at the same time "How'd it happen?"_

 _"_ _I got hit with a People's Choice Award. You?" Trish shrugged._

 _"_ _I don't know," Jessica replied._

 _"_ _You're a freak," Trish hissed "I mean that in a positive way," her adoptive sister backpedaled._

 _"_ _Can you find a nicer word?" Jessica challenged, to which Trish lamely suggested "Gifted?"_

 _"_ _I guess. I broke a brush earlier, too, but that might have been regular," Jessica joked._

 _Trish then stated that they should tell her Mother._

 _Horrified, Jessica said "No! God, no."_

 _"_ _You can't hide this," Trish brought up._

 _"_ _I can, and your mother is a dangerous nut job. She just stabbed you! And if she knew that I had something that she could exploit, too... No!" Jessica firmly disagreed with her adoptive Sister's plan._

 _Still curious, Trish probed, "Did the car accident cause it?"_

 _"_ _I have no idea. If you tell anybody, I'm going tell everybody that you're a pathetic victim of child abuse," Jessica warned her._

 _Trish's eyes were wide in fear, "Don't you dare."_

 _"_ _They'll make a Lifetime movie about it. Stolen Childhood: The Patsy Walker Story. I'd be saving you," Jessica taunted._

 _Trish took a step forward and said, "Shut up! No!"_

 _"_ _Then it's a standoff," Jessica commented, crossing her arms._

 _"_ _Okay, deal. I don't tell and you don't save me," Trish negotiated._

Felicity shook her head to clear her mind and started hacking into several systems. The club's security feed corroborated Thea's story, but it doesn't help. It confirms that she was alone and still well enough to drive. Thea's been off on drugs for a few months, so her tolerance would have decreased and was likely unable to drive.

She thought back at Thea's story - she said goodbye to her friend and drove off. She was planning on going to the Cheesesteak place that they both liked but she never made it there. She checked their feeds and there was no sign of Thea between the time she left the club and the car crash.

Felicity wondered "What made her change her mind?" Thea's words ringing in her head "Apparently, I didn't." She surmised that somewhere in the 2.6 miles between the club and the Cheesesteak place, Thea went under the influence of Vertigo. There would have been no reason to stop somewhere. Then she remembered the Cheesesteak place was cash only. It was a long shot, but she was hoping the stop Thea made was just to get cash from an ATM.

There are 6 ATMs within the area that she isolated. On the 2nd ATM camera she hacked into, Thea was withdrawing money. It was one of the closest to the car crash location "Next time, you will have to rethink the use of an ATM machine when you're alone during the wee hours of the morning," Felicity mumbled.

She watched the feed and after Thea completed her transaction, she saw that a hand grabbed her while her arms swung wildly. Despite the circumstance, Felicity was thankful the scuffle was captured on camera. She paused when the man's face came into view so she could take a proper look. "Son of a bitch!" Felicity yelled. It was her drug dealer – the same scumbag she saved Thea from that night they met. She couldn't believe it.

"I'm going to get you this time, you piece of shit," Felicity vowed as she continued watching the video where sure enough, he injected Thea and tossed her in the passenger seat of her car and got in the driver's seat!

There was no traffic camera on the exact location of the car crash but there was one about 70 feet away, which captured the man still driving.

"This should be enough," Felicity thought. The man went out of his way to get back at Thea. For what? She didn't regret helping Thea that night, what she regretted was letting the guy off with just a threat and a few bruises. She should have done something else. Felicity did a facial recognition on the scumbag and identified him as Dann Burr. "Never trust a Dan that spells his name with two N's," she whispered. Felicity sent an anonymous tip to the DA's office and SCPD saying Thea was drugged and was not the one behind the wheel at the time of the crash. She give the exact locations as proof and added that there are cameras to support the tip. She is confident these are enough to have the charges on Thea dropped. She doesn't alert the media this time, no, she wants to deal with Burr before the cops get to him. Felicity puts her plan in motion and sends Oliver a text telling him to meet her at the hospital tomorrow.

Somewhere, Oliver was struggling to walk and was being assisted by his bodyguard after getting dosed with Vertigo. He sees Felicity's message and tries to make something out of it before he passed out.

The next day, Felicity hacked into the DA's files and relieved that they are acting on the tip. The DA was going to drop the charges against Thea and plans to pursue Dann. "Not after I'm done with him," she muttered. She drove to the hospital and saw Oliver who looked wasted.

"Felicity. Hey, I got your message," Oliver slurred as he squinted.

Felicity moved away from the windows to save the poor man from looking into the brightness and acknowledged the state he was in, "You look like something the cat dragged in. I think you need the hospital more than your sister."

Oliver chuckled, "I'm fine, just a little hungover. I didn't get a chance to text you this morning but the DA and SCPD are in Thea's room and it looks like they are dropping the charges. You don't happen to have anything to do with that, do you?" His dilated pupils staring back at her.

"Little hungover? I'll ignore the fact that you're clearly shaking off the effects of being drugged," Felicity thought. She looked at him and responded, "Don't worry. I heard the news on my way here. It was an anonymous tip. Since you're already at a hospital, get yourself looked at. Who knows, they might give you something for your little hangover." She said the last part with a bit more emphasis. "You're not the only one who can skirt around these types of topics," Felicity added in her head.

Seeing that he wasn't going to get some sort of acknowledgement that she had a hand in the sudden turn of events, Oliver decided to not pry. "I assure you. I'm alright – even better now that Thea will get cleared. I do need your help though; my buddy Kevin is starting an energy drink company. He says it's fantastic for curing hangovers. Given my current condition, I wanted to try it, but I am very particular about what it is I put in my body."

Our of the corner of her eye, she saw John roll his eyes and shake his head and thought "Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks his BS stories are awful."

She responded, "I've noticed." Realizing her gaffe she looked to John, "I said, not noticed. Right?" The man only gave her a small smile.

Oliver breathed out, clearly fighting the effects of the drug and trying to stay present in the conversation, "I'm trying to find a secret recipe. Could you please do a spectroanalysis of the sample and find out exactly where in the city it's made?"

At this point, Felicity didn't know whether to be insulted by his excuses. "If it's an energy drink, why is it in a syringe? You know what? I don't even want to know what you'll come up with this time. I'll call you when I have something," she bit back, grabbing the syringe and walked away. "Energy drink my ass," she muttered.

As she was walking away, she heard Oliver say "Thank you". She turned back to him. Though he was unfocused, he tried to convey that his gratitude was not just for the spectroanalysis which she was about to do for him. She nodded and carried on walking.

Felicity pulled out her phone and set out for her destination before heading home. When the elevator doors opened, she was thankful it was empty. Before entering, she hacked into the cameras with a program on her phone and pressed the button to the 6th floor. Felicity studied the floor plan and shifts last night. Felicity made sure to freeze the feeds on her path, have them play on a loop, and reset the feeds after she's away from their view.

She chose the floor that had the least traffic and she was able to pretend she was just roaming around, trying not to draw attention to herself. Felicity finally reached the room she had in mind, disabled the electronic lock and went inside. She only had a few minutes and was thankful she found what she needed without rummaging through several shelves and rows of medicine. "Bingo - Sodium Thiopental" Felicity took several bottles and some syringes, checked if the coast was clear, and made her way back to the elevators. She left the hospital and drove to QC.

On her way to QC, Felicity called Rex, her friend from the lab, to cash in a favor he owed her. Rex granted her access to what she needed after having Felicity promise to be careful and to lock up. He didn't ask any questions and just left. Both of them value discretion and respect each other. It took Felicity a few hours to complete the analysis. She knew Oliver's story was not true. The sample she tested was Vertigo. Felicity sent Oliver a message letting him know that the solvent used in the Vertigo sample was run off water from with a 10-block radius of where East Glades meets the bay. She checked what structures were within the area. Only an old juvenile detention center was there. She was certain that The Hood will be paying the maker of the drug a visit in the next few hours.

It was close to 8 PM when she got back home. Felicity had to prepare for her plan. She checked her phone to look up Burr's location – a small apartment that was not his in The Glades. Of course, where would a drug dealer hide out? The Glades!

She filled a syringe and brought one of the bottles with her for good measure. Felicity checked Burr's location one last time and drove. She decided to park her car a few blocks from the apartment complex. Pulling the hood of her leather jacket over her head, she breathed out, put on her gloves, and got out of her car.

The complex was occupied by mostly less-fortunate families. She knew she had to be cautious and quick.

"Apartment 3B – this is it, Felicity said as she could hear loud music being played from inside. "This will work to my advantage," she thought as she forced the door knob to crack. Felicity quietly went inside where she saw Burr bobbing his head to the music, completely unaware of her presence and rummaging through several small bags of cocaine and syringes of whatever drug he planned to deal. She spots a handgun 3 feet from where he was sitting.

Felicity rushed up to him quietly and held his head down, careful so he won't get a good and clear look at her, "Didn't I tell you to stay away from Thea Queen?"

Burr tried to struggle under her arms but Felicity was much stronger than him, "That bitch cost me a few of deals. She got what she deserved." He tried to reach for the handgun and Felicity pinned him down even harder.

"You shoot at me, I'll pull the bullet out of my ruined jacket and shove it up your ass with my pinky finger, and who do you think that's going to hurt more? I made the mistake of letting you go easily. But being the piece of shit that you are, you went after her. I won't make another mistake," Felicity gritted as she slammed his head on the edge of the table. She didn't want to make a mess and leave signs of a struggle when the police arrived.

Burr was gasping and squirming in pain, "What are you going to do to me you, freak?"

"Just a word of advice as I'm sure this will come in handy when you go to prison - if someone is holding you down, don't run your fucking mouth. And remember, no matter where I am, even if I'm behind bars, if you try anything with Thea Queen or any innocent person, or even breathe a word about me, I will find out, I will come for you, and it will hurt," Felicity hissed at Burr's ear who was shaking and nodding even if he couldn't see her.

In an instant, Felicity got him on a chokehold and rendered Burr unconscious. She grabbed the syringe she brought and injected him with a quarter of a dose, enough to keep him unconscious but also enough to help later on when they question him.

As she exited the apartment complex, she sent an anonymous tip to SCPD. Felicity let them know that Thea Queen's attacker, Dann Burr, was spotted in a vacant apartment in The Glades. She was about to walk to her car and wait for the police to arrive, when she felt someone's presence behind her. Quickly whipping around, ready to hit her would-be attacker, she came face-to-face with The Hood.

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack in the middle of The Glades?" she loudly whispered.

"You shouldn't be here, Ms. Smoak," Oliver said in his modulated voice.

"First off all, I'm pretty sure you know my first name so call me Felicity. Ms. Smoak? You sound like my gardener. Also, where I choose to go is none of your concern. Just so you know, I had to take care of something in the area. Wh," she said quietly.

"In The Glades?" Oliver asked.

Felicity exhaled, her tiredness catching up with her, "Look, I would suggest that we take this conversation somewhere in private because I just tipped off the police and I'd rather not be found on site when they arrive," Felicity realized what she said and clarified "And by private, I meant somewhere not in the middle of the street, not private as in behind closed doors."

They walked closer to her car; Felicity noticed that Oliver positioned himself away from the street lamp'a light so his face is not visible. "Too late for that," Felicity mumbled, to which he tilted his head at her in confusion.

"I was there because I had to confront the scumbag who was responsible for the shit that my friend went through in the last 60 hours," Felicity started her explanation. She noticed Oliver tense up, his index finger rubbing against his thumb.

"You shouldn't have done that. That was dangerous." Oliver reprimanded.

"I know, but I… I wanted to settle a score with that lowlife. I shouldn't have just roughed him up when I first encountered him. At the time, I was focused on my now friend, Thea, to have done so. I told him to stay away from her that night. A few months later, he tries to ruin her life. All because he's a petty asshole who lost a few deals because Thea got clean!" Felicity angrily replied, the guilt rolling off her.

"That wasn't your fault or your responsibility. You did what you could to save Th-, your friend. But it doesn't change the fact that you almost endangered yourself." Oliver reiterated.

"I can handle it and I did. You're one to talk; you go out there every night fighting who knows what. I know it's different, but I had to do this. What if that guy Burr does something again? I had to make sure he gets the message before I let the police take over," Felicity challenged, unable to see the look of understanding and something else behind Oliver's mask.

He wondered what Felicity did as he only caught glimpses of her pinning the guy down, "So what did you do?"

"Manhandled him a little bit, knocked him out, and gave him Sodium Thiopental," Felicity mentioned as if it was nothing.

"Truth serum," Oliver confirmed.

"It's also an anesthetic. It should knock him out until the police arrives and then help with the interrogation. Hopefully he sings like a canary," Felicity explained.

Oliver wondered why she went through so much trouble, "Why are you so focused on helping Thea Queen?"

"She's not perfect, but Thea is trying to turn her life around. Her dealer doesn't get to have a hold on her. He doesn't get to control her and drag her along with him. Because I kno-…" She stops herself, but Oliver caught on without hearing any further. "That's why I want to help. I also can't let him do this to other innocent people. He's a small-time drug addict compared to the actual maker of Vertigo, but if I can do something to help get him off the streets, then I'll do it," Felicity revealed.

It was clear to Felicity that Oliver wasn't happy about her doing this type of thing herself, but she saw him nod. He knew why she is driven to right the wrongs she sees.

"I know you've been following me and don't try to deny it." Felicity said sternly before continuing, "As much as I appreciate the concern, I'm sure you have much more pressing matters to deal with and you also don't get to decide whether I need protecting or not. I'm sorry to break this to you, but you're not the boss of me."

Oliver just stared back at her. She is unable to see the smile on his face. "Of course, she is this defiant and brave," he thought to himself.

"Oh and before I forget, I don't give a damn what kinky stuff you're into with the leather and all that," she said waving her hand gesturing at his suit. "Just don't leave traces. – try not to bleed during a mission, or leave traceable evidence. Do you realize SCPD had samples of your blood and a partial print?"

Oliver's amusement was gone as he considered Felicity's words. He swore, he and Diggle have always been careful about leaving things that could trace back to them.

"But don't worry, they've been destroyed. I made sure of it," Felicity confessed with a coy look on her face.

"Why?" was the only response that Oliver could muster. Why is she helping him? The wheels are turning in his head.

"Because, what you do is important to this city and I believe you could do more. You have unconventional and sometimes questionable methods, but if the SCPD catches you, then who else will bring the city out of the darkness? Before you ask, I'm good at what I do. I'm not going to get caught. Even if I do, not that it will happen, it'll be worth it. The good outweighs the bad." Felicity justified.

Unable to answer, Oliver just said "Thank you, Felicity."

"Just be careful, you know, with the missions and the traces – try not to leave anything behind," Felicity reminded.

Oliver nodded and whispered, "I will."

They stood there for a few seconds until the sounds of the police sirens are heard from a distance. Felicity gestured to her car and said, "I think you should go before they see you. I uh, I'm going to stick around and watch to make sure they get him. I'm sure you have other people to visit."

"I've already taken care of business for tonight, Felicity. You should go. I'll watch over and make sure they arrest him," Oliver replied.

Felicity thought about it for a few seconds. When she wasn't able to stifle a wayward yawn, she realized she could just check up on this from her bed. She nodded and got in her car, waved Oliver goodbye as she drove home.

As her car was out of his view, he climbed up the roof of one of the complexes. From his current location, he can observe from a distance. He recalled the events of the past couple of days – Thea's accident, arrest, and his run-ins with The Count, with the most recent one just less than an hour ago, where Oliver drugged him with a full dose of Vertigo. He felt a bit of relief that this incident can be put to rest and some sort of justice was going to be served. Out of all the things that happened, Felicity coming through to him and Thea stood out. Felicity has been helping him as both Oliver Queen and The Hood. He wondered if she was also the one bringing people on the list to justice. She may have also hinted about knowing his real identity. Before he could ponder any further, he saw the police pull up to Burr's apartment complex. A few minutes later he saw a dazed Burr being hauled off by 2 policemen. "Job well done, Felicity," he whispered as he made his way back to The Foundry.

Felicity was exhausted. She had a long week thanks to her supervisor and any hope of catching up on rest disappeared when Burr caused trouble. After showering, she poured herself a glass of Canadian Mist and brought her tablet with her to bed. Felicity hacked into the SCPD cameras and saw that Burr was being held on charges of drug dealing while possessing or using a gun, assault, among other things. Content that he will get the punishment he is due; she puts her tablet down and nurses her drink. Before she goes to sleep, Felicity receives a short text from Thea, "Thank you, as always. Let's catch up soon!" She types a reply letting her know she's glad it's over and that she agrees to catch up.

On her way to work, Felicity heard on the radio that Thea's charges have been dropped after details of her attack and frame-up were revealed. The suspect is in custody and is due in court soon. Felicity was glad the police and DA's office made sure to clear Thea's name.

It was a long Monday and Felicity couldn't wait to get home, relax and maybe look into the target she had to set aside during the weekend. When she made it home, she noticed an envelope that was slid under her door. She huffed, thinking it was one of those real estate offers or maybe a new restaurant leaving takeout menus on everyone's door. She picked it up and opened the envelope to reveal a dark green industrial earring. She chuckled to herself, knowing who it came from and held the lovely arrow-shaped piece in her hand.

As she touched the industrial earring in admiration, she wondered if this was Oliver's way of thanking her for helping Thea, him with his ridiculous requests, or with preserving his identity.

At that moment, Felicity came to a decision, "I'm going to tell Oliver what I know about the list".


	7. Appearances, Admissions, and Alliances

_Hope everyone is having a nice holiday. Apologies for the delay. I thought I'd be able to get through this chapter quicker since I had everything outlined and had to just fill in the dialogue. The holidays slowed me down and also hit a bit of a writing snag. Hopefully the next one won't take too long. I'm also coming up with ideas for other fics so I might start a one-shot series for random things I think of so I could get the thoughts out of the way._

 _Back to this one - we're ramping up and I hope you like the new development. Just a bit of a disclaimer for this story and a reminder of sorts, Walter didn't go missing. You'll read about Felicity's motivations (tried to mix hers with Jessica's). Also, Oliver isn't actively seeking out Laurel or any other woman._

 _Mistakes are mine, I don't own anything, and this fic isn't beta'd. Will try to revisit the mistakes and correct them myself. I hit 8,000+ words. Again, this won't be the norm but I started it and I hate cutting chapters when I already have things outlined and planned. Flashbacks are in italics._

 _Comments, questions, faves, and follows are always welcome!_

 **Appearances, Admissions, and Alliances**

Felicity was holding her new industrial piercing in front of her vanity mirror. She put her hair up in a bun and began unscrewing the top part of the barbell. She pulled out the remaining part of the piercing and tilted her head to trace an old scar just behind her ear.

 _Jessica and Killgrave were having wine at the balcony. She turned back to him and he stroked her face. As Killgrave leaned in to kiss her, Jessica told him it was getting chilly, that she will clean up, and they'll continue inside._

 _He simply smiled and agreed "Alright, Darling."_

 _Jessica had waited so long for that moment; for one single moment to get away from him. She stood on the ledge just looking down at the street. Her yellow sundress was being blown by the wind. "This is it," she told herself. She had imagined jumping, landing on her feet, and running away, not looking back. She was so close until…_

 _"_ _Jessica! Come in, Darling," Killgrave called out to her._

 _She didn't, no, couldn't move. "Come down from there," he yelled as he made his way back to the balcony._

 _The moment passed. Jessica wasn't fast enough._

 _The man who she couldn't get away from made his presence known and screamed, "Come down now, Jessica! Why don't you listen to me?"_

 _She got down and stood in front of him._

 _"_ _Because I don't want to," she answered back._

 _"_ _If you don't listen to me, what is the point of having ears? Answer me," he berated._

 _"_ _To listen to someone else," Jessica replied, defiantly._

 _"_ _You never appreciate anything I do for you," he bit back. "If you can't listen to me, you don't need ears. Cut them off" Killgrave ordered as he handed her a knife._

 _With shaking hands, she took the knife from his hands. Jessica felt the heavy weight of the stainless steel. Following the command, she started slicing her ear; feeling the blood ooze from the incision she made._

 _"_ _Stop. Stop. Stop," he said. She stopped. The next thing she knew, he pulled the knife from her grasp._

 _"_ _It's all right. It's all right. I'm here, Jessica. I'll always be here," Killgrave said as he pulled her in for a hug._

 _She hated him. She hated herself for not jumping off the ledge._

"Birch Street, Higgins Drive, Cobalt Lane," Felicity whispered as she gripped the industrial piercing tighter.

Once she calmed down, she inserted the arrow industrial and twirled the arrowhead to fasten it in place. She admired it one more time, grateful that she is able to think of something pleasant when she looks at her right ear. "Thanks, Oliver," she mumbled.

Felicity reached for her phone and started typing a message to Oliver. She really meant it. She was going to tell Oliver what she knew about and what she's been doing with the notebook.

Oliver was pleased with himself for thinking of and crafting Felicity's gift. Though he's used to making his own arrows, creating something intricate like an industrial piercing was tricky. He wanted to show his appreciation for what she's done to help him (as Oliver Queen and The Arrow) and his sister. Thea was already planning a day out between her and Felicity. She told him when they got back from the hospital that she was glad he and Felicity believed in her. She knew Felicity had a hand in her charges being dropped and attacker being put to justice.

He didn't want to give her chocolates or flowers. It seemed disingenuous and cliché. He wanted something unique and discreet. Oliver recalled their first meeting. After noticing her blond hair, red lips, fair skin, and colorful outfit (he was just being observant), he remembered the glint of silver adorning her right ear. He figured he'd make her an earring. Easy enough, right? No. He had tried 7 times – unhappy with the results and on the 8th try, he was finally satisfied. Diggle caught him making the small arrows and had jokingly asked if he was making his own action figures.

Oliver's thoughts were interrupted when his phone beeped. He saw a message from the very person who was occupying his mind, "Oliver. I hope you and your family are well. I was wondering if we could chat in the next few days or so. Let me know when you can meet. Thanks, Felicity."

Intrigued, he wondered if she wanted to meet up to talk to him about Thea or perhaps thank him for the industrial. Her message wasn't by any means terse, but she seemed serious. Oliver didn't think twice when he replied "How about tomorrow night – 7:30 pm at Big Belly Burger?" He figured that was a safe time and place. A couple of minutes later, she sent another message, "Sounds good. Thanks again. Have a good night." He had to tamp down the anticipation bubbling inside him before he slept, unaware that his sister made lunch plans with Felicity for the same day.

To say that Felicity was nervous is an understatement. She wasn't having second thoughts about telling Oliver what she knew regarding the notebook. She was getting anxious about his reaction. Would he be mad, would he feel relief that he found an ally in her and that he'll tell her that he is The Hood? Thanks to her overactive mind, she only slept for a couple of hours. Since she wasn't going to get any more sleep, Felicity went to QC and got her day started early. She did agree to have lunch with Thea, so getting more work done earlier will help.

At around 11:30, Felicity made her way to L'Express, a quaint French restaurant a few blocks away from QC. She saw Thea crossing the street when she was about to enter the restaurant, so she waited for her friend. Thea launched herself at her blonde friend who was taken aback by her bear hug, but ended up reciprocating. They both walked into the restaurant and let the maître d' lead them to their seat. After looking over the menus and giving their respective orders, their server left them.

Felicity decided to break the ice with "Hey, how is everything? How are you?"

"Relieved and grateful," Thea said looking intently at Felicity before continuing in a lower voice, "I know you were behind that douche's arrest and making sure my name got cleared. You and Ollie were the only ones who believed me. My Mom tried to be supportive, but I don't blame her for thinking I might have relapsed. Hell, I still didn't know what happened until after they told me the charges were being dropped and I demanded to see the tapes. So thank you, for having faith, standing by me, making sure I didn't take that plea bargain, and getting to the bottom of this mess. Thea's eyes glistened as she conveyed her gratitude.

"I think it would be best if I don't openly admit to anything," Felicity said with a wink and continued as she reached out to squeeze the younger woman's arm. "I knew that you were telling the truth when you said you didn't take drugs. Sometimes you just need 1 or 2 people to believe in you to make a difference. We weren't going to let some asshole with a grudge have that hold over you."

"We, huh" Thea teased even though her eyes were still shining with unshed tears.

"That's what you took away from everything I said? Fo' shame, Ms. Queen," Felicity joked back, glad to see the younger woman feeling lighter, even if it was at her expense.

"Well it's hard to miss especially when I find out you and my brother knew each other. And before you say anything, knew each other well enough for you to have him ensure I don't take that plea bargain that my Mom insisted. When did that start?" Thea's focus was solely on her relationship (or non-relationship) with Oliver.

"Thea, like we, I mean, I told you before, I was only helping him out with some tech stuff. Walter already knew me and can vouch for my work," Felicity reminded, unable to keep the small smile and blush off her face.

"See, he could've gone to anyone but he went to YOU and he kept coming back to YOU. Did you know he had a big dumb look on his face last night when we were home and I told him I knew it was you? He spaced out and just said, "Yeah" breathily. Ollie doesn't do breathy voices." Thea countered, clearly enjoying herself.

"You're seeing things that you want to see. We're barely friends" Felicity replied in the most unconvincing manner as she smiled at what the younger woman said. Her glee was short-lived when she realized what she told Thea was true, she and Oliver were barely friends.

"Not for long," Thea mumbled before drinking her soda.

"Thea," Felicity playfully admonished.

"I'm just saying, if you guys ended up together it wouldn't be a bad thing - you'd have the cutest and smartest blonde children," Thea retorted, before sheepishly adding "Plus, you'd officially be the sister I always wanted, but never had."

The pensive look Thea gave her when she mentioned being sisters tugged at her heartstrings. Deciding not to make lunch a heavily emotional get-together, she responded "I dye it, actually. Brunette here."

"Well then I'll look forward to not being the only dark-haired member of this family" Thea laughed.

"Ugh, let it go," Felicity said as she shook her head at the younger woman's antics which she is secretly enjoying. "Thanks for planting a damn seed in my head," she thought.

Their food arrived and they talked about Thea's prom. She said she needed to start shopping even though it was still 2 months away. Felicity suggested "Why don't you just design your own dress?" Thea just stared back, the wheels in her head clearly turning.

Felicity clarified further, "You like fashion design, you could sketch what you want, get fabrics and stuff, and have a seamstress do the actual stitching while you learn. Some kids do that these days, even with recycled material that aren't even fabric"

"I think I'll do that. Plus, if Mom sees that I do a great job, she might have more confidence in me and believe that I'm turning over a new leaf." Thea said with determination.

Felicity was proud that Thea is really committed to turning her life around. They kept up with light conversation and Thea's relentless teasing about Felicity and Oliver. After their meal, they parted ways – Thea heading back home to get some schoolwork done since she was taking a couple of days off to let the recent scandal blow over and Felicity going back to work.

As Felicity walked back to QC, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise. She stopped walking and quickly looked around but only saw people going about their business walking around her. She was turning around to continue her trek back to QC when she clipped someone on the shoulder. She apologized. The man she clipped didn't bother to stop or turn back to her. Before he started crossing the street, he muttered "You left me to die" while he was still within Felicity's earshot.

Felicity was stunned. The voice was familiar. After shaking off her initial shock, she moved to follow him but the pedestrian light had already changed. She tried to get a view of the man in the grey hoodie but the cars whizzing by made it difficult. "Damn it," she whispered when she realized she lost him.

Felicity kept repeating "Birch Street, Higgins Drive, Cobalt Lane" on her way to QC even as she sat at her desk. He was dead. It must have been her imagination. She'll have to do a sanity check later. Right now, she needed to get on with her day.

She was able to plow through her workload, but Felicity's mind kept wandering. The next thing she knew, it was already 7 PM. She was so immersed in her work and her thoughts that Felicity didn't even realize her colleagues have left for the day. She had to leave and meet up with Oliver.

It was drizzling that night and before she exited the car park, Felicity had to calm herself down. Her mind was still on overdrive. After taking a few cleansing breaths, she walked towards Big Belly Burger's entrance and passed by Oliver who was sitting on one of the stools by the window. She waved at him as she passed by and saw that he waved back.

She stood beside his seat and greeted, "Hi. You're early."

Oliver caught a quick glance at the industrial he made for her and a surge of pride ran through him. He acted naturally, "I was only here about 5 minutes before you arrived. How's it going?" If he noticed that Felicity looked shaken, he didn't say anything about it.

"Good. Thanks for meeting me. I was nervous to come to your house," Felicity said as she fidgeted with her bag.

"Okay," Oliver breathed out, unsure where the conversation was heading. He tried to ease the tension and Felicity's nervousness by suggesting, "Let's eat while we talk, because I'm starving."

Felicity just mumbled, "I'm not hungry but will gladly have a cup of coffee." She sat beside Oliver and gestured, "You can eat, I won't mind." She looked distracted and didn't even notice that his food and her coffee arrived. Oliver ate in silence, concerned that Felicity was quiet and only giving short answers when they talked about QC and Thea.

"Are you okay?" He asked as he finished his meal.

"Yeah, just a lot of stuff happened today which don't have anything to do with why I asked you to meet with me," Felicity assured him. She continued as Oliver stared at her intently, "The thing is, I've been debating whether or not to share this with you for weeks. Can I trust you?" She paused gauging his expressions, "I'm not an idiot. You've dropped some fairly ridiculous lies on me, and yet I still feel like I can trust you. Why is that?"

Oliver still wanting to keep things light joked, "I have one of those faces."

Felicity bit her lip in annoyance and looked away. She was being vulnerable and here he was not taking her seriously.

Sensing that he made the wrong choice by going for levity, he said, "Sorry. Yes. You can trust me."

Felicity gazed back at him and spoke, "Then I have something to show you." She pulled out the notebook from her bag and watched him closely. Oliver tried to keep a tight rein on his emotions but Felicity saw the flash of despair before he buried it and asked, "Have you ever seen this before?"

"No," Oliver chocked back. Both of them knew it was a lie. "Where'd you get it?" Oliver asked attempting to keep his voice from wavering. He failed but he couldn't care any less.

Felicity wasn't worried that Oliver would lash out. She was worried that whatever sense of security he had left since coming back from the dead would shatter with him. "From your Stepfather," she responded.

"From Walter," Oliver confirmed out loud and then asked, "Um, well, where did he get it?"

Felicity hated being the bearer of the devastating pieces of information to Oliver. The sooner this is out in the open, or as open as it could be between them, the better. "He said he found it in your house. That it belongs to your mother. Walter thought she was hiding something - something more. He wanted me to look into it, he said it seemed like a dangerous task but he wanted to know more. I told him I'd keep the list for now so I could look into it further. I haven't had a chance to return it as he's been travelling back and forth from Australia to London," she said as she continued to observe Oliver's reactions. Though in flashes, she saw the despair, confusion, betrayal, and rage in his features as he gripped the notebook.

Oliver focused his attention back to her when he asked, "Have you done anything else with this?"

"Nothing that could lead back to me," Felicity replied as he stared back at her. The myriad of emotions were quickly replaced by a look of protectiveness.

"Whatever it is that you're doing, you need to stop," Oliver demanded.

Felicity was thrown off by his response, so she asked "Why?"

Like he couldn't believe she's asking, he pointed out, "Because this is dangerous. The people in this list were either arrested or targeted by the vigilante. If someone ties you to this list, you could get yourself in trouble."

Felicity didn't call him out on why he was quick to identify some names from the list as The Hood's targets. She didn't want to answer and break a promise so she just asked, "What are you going to do with it?"

"I'll talk to my Mother. This must be a misunderstanding," Oliver said as he tried to convince both of them.

Felicity nods hesitantly and answered "Okay". Disbelief apparent in her face; even Oliver knew this wasn't just a misunderstanding.

Before she could say anything else, Oliver touched her shoulder, "Hey, I just want you to be safe. Thank you, for trusting me with this and also for the number of things you've done for me and Thea." She nodded and told him she had to go. They bid their goodbyes - both continued with their respective nights feeling uneasy.

Back at the foundry, Oliver hustled down the stairs and caught Diggle's attention. "Hey, man. I thought you were going to meet with Felicity," Diggle asked as he checked his watch.

Oliver let out a heavy breath he didn't even know he held and answered, "We did and she gave me this." He tossed the notebook on the table.

"That's…" Diggle started saying as he ran a hand over his face.

"My Mom's copy of the list? Yeah. Walter had asked her to look into the notebook after he found it. Felicity also cryptically admitted that she was the one helping us, but I told her she has to stop or else she might be in trouble." Oliver barked. He didn't bother restraining the tension and anger he held in when he met with Felicity.

Trying to keep a level head, Diggle probed "What's our game plan? Your Mother wouldn't have a copy of the list just lying around. She must know something."

"I'm aware of that. Let me try to get some clues and fish around. If I don't get anything by the end of the week, maybe it's time for The Hood to pay her a visit," Oliver affirmed, noticing his partner's look of apprehension over his plan.

"Just keep an open mind, Oliver," Diggle reminded as he went back to cleaning his guns.

By the time Felicity got home, she was a bundle of nerves. She couldn't shake her anxiety over lunch. "I need something stronger than wine and mint chip for this," she whispered to herself. She grabbed a bottle of Scotch and poured herself a drink and thought about her disappointment that Oliver didn't say anything further. "Get a grip, his whole life might have just been unhinged with his Mother's potential involvement in that notebook and his accident 5 years ago," she scolded herself as she took a drink.

She needed to focus her pent up energy on something before she opens a potential can of worms and dig deeper to the man she bumped into earlier. Felicity started looking into Andro Macoish, a scientist for one of Merlyn Global Group's chemical subsidiaries. She hacked into several databases and research files to find out that he has been tampering with research trials. He directly caused millions of taxpayer dollars to be wasted on fraudulent studies. He was in the process of obtaining an approval for human research subjects from the Institutional Review Board. She could stop any further research he could do by exposing his fraud to obtain research grants. That should be enough and there is a possibility of banning him from conducting further research. She collected her evidence, sent it to the FBI, IRB, and media, and then poured herself another drink. She was going to need it after all.

Bracing herself for whatever it is that she might find, Felicity checked the hospital records from the accident. Her worries were somehow alleviated – 2 John Does who have never been associated as missing persons – dead on the spot, both from severe trauma and unrecognizable from the injuries sustained. The minor description of the bodies matched what she remembered. "So they both stayed dead," she concluded. The half-empty bottle of Scotch stared back at her. The anxiety still lingered, but who was she kidding, it never left.

Two days later, Diggle and Oliver were planning The Hood's confrontation with Moira. They stopped when they heard breaking news of Macoish's fraudulent activities and his impending arrest on TV. Judging by the look on Oliver's face, Diggle decided to say his thoughts out loud, "Looks like Felicity is carrying on with her cyber vigilante activities."

Frustrated, Oliver huffed, "Not funny, Dig. I'll talk to her later."

"Yeah, good luck with that," Diggle mumbled to Oliver's annoyance. "Now about tomorrow night..." they continued planning The Hood's QC's executive floor appearance to confront Moira Queen.

Felicity was pleased that Macoish was being dealt with by the authorities. On her way home from work, she decided to swing by the grocery store to pick up some items. When Felicity walked towards her car, she saw a familiar looking man in a grey hoodie staring back at her. He was standing by an SUV several spots from where she parked. She froze, dropped her grocery bags, and started muttering "Birch Street, Higgins Drive, Cobalt Lane". She was about to run towards the man when someone grabbed her wrist. She was ready to take a swing when a voice called to her "Felicity!" She turned quickly towards the sound of her name.

Oliver let go of her hand and placed both of his hands in front of him to show he meant no harm. "Hey, it's just me," he assured her and then asked "Are you alright? What's got you spooked?"

Felicity shook her head and whipped her head to the spot where the man stood. He was gone. Oliver gripped her arm again and asked, "Felicity, what's going on?"

When she was able to breathe normally again, she told Oliver, "Yeah. I'm fine - just zoned out for a bit. I finally remembered an elusive string of code that I needed earlier." She was glad she was able to come up with something. "I uh, I'm fine. I swear. It's just one of those thoughts that hit you when you least expect it."

Oliver looked worried and a tad suspicious. He tried to survey the parking lot for anything that could have spooked Felicity. He didn't find anything out of the blue and called her out "Really? Because you just dropped your grocery bags and I'm pretty sure the ice cream and whatever was inside the bottle didn't survive."

"Huh?" She looked down and grumbled "Damn it. Now I need to make another trip."

"Hey, it's fine. I'll walk with you. Are you sure you're okay? You looked like you've seen a ghost," Oliver said as he held her arms that were slightly shivering.

"You have no idea" she thought. "No. I promise I'm fine. Just stuff going on here," she replied, pointing to her head. She then assured him "I was decoding something and had trouble with an algorithm but thanks to my messy aha moment I think I know now what I missed. Fancy seeing you here. Were you following me?"

"Technically no," Oliver answered sheepishly.

"Technically? Explain." Felicity's panic from earlier was slowly subsiding and was being replaced by irritation at the possibility of being followed.

"Well, I went to your office and saw that you were already gone. I was going to pick up a few things from the grocery store on my way home and saw you on your way out. I figured I'd catch you now before you head home," Oliver explained.

"Huh, you just happened to be in the same grocery store. Right. Whatever. Is everything okay? You could have just called," Felicity pointed out, not believing in the coincidence.

"I just wanted to talk in person," Oliver clarified.

"Are you okay?" She asked as she tossed the grocery bag with the battered ice cream carton and broken Bourbon bottle.

"I'm fine. It's you I'm worried about," Oliver replied.

"Me? Why would I worry you?" Felicity inquired, genuinely confused why he would be concerned. She wasn't sure whether to be touched or vexed.

"Yeah, I saw on the news Andro Macoish was arrested. Felicity, I told you - you have to drop this and distance yourself from the names on the list," he growled, his face closer and his voice lower so only the two of them could hear. "That list is dangerous, if someone finds out you know it exists, who knows what could happen to you," he chided her.

Felicity fought the flush that came over and answered back, "Oliver. Don't worry. I'm doing everything on my personal, heavily secured and encrypted computer. The likelihood of my activities being traced is low, and even if that happens, which it won't, no one can trace it back to me. I'm not stopping. I found a way to help expose the criminals of this city and put them to justice, I'll continue to do it. I'm not The Hood but if I am right in thinking that we have the same goal, albeit different methods, then I'll help him, indirectly. It's my life, my choice," she responded as she watched Oliver's reaction closely. He didn't give anything away other than a slight squinting of his eyes and an exasperated sigh.

Oliver realized this is a battle he won't win, "You're not stopping, aren't you?"

"You should know by now that I won't. I told you – my life, my choice," Felicity reminded him.

Oliver relented, "Fine, just. Just be careful okay?" He squeezed her arm. "Come on; let's go back to the store." They went to the grocery store together and parted ways after picking up their respective goods. As Oliver watched Felicity drive away, he thought about her freak-out. He knew it wasn't just a code. She was frightened and he wondered what might have caused it.

Felicity clenched the steering wheel tightly on her way home. She almost forgot about her groceries in her car. She got inside her house, unloaded her things, and just poured herself a glass of Bourbon. She checked just 2 days ago and he was dead. Both of them were. She was seeing things. That has to be it. Felicity pulled out her phone from her pocket and thought about contacting Trish. "No, she'll just worry," she told herself. She shook her head, took a hot shower and got ready for bed. "Birch Street, Higgins Drive, Cobalt Lane," Felicity slurred as she fell into a fitful sleep.

The next day, Felicity was determined to get through her workload and avoid being left alone with her thoughts. She had lunch at her desk, completed several diagnostics and assessments, and absentmindedly waved off colleagues on their way out. She was ready to start on a new project when she noticed it was already 9:15 PM. Felicity figured it's a good stopping point.

She was the only one in her floor. The other wing was already dark since the lights were motion activated after hours. Felicity was exhausted and not getting any decent sleep in the past few days was taxing. There weren't a lot of cars in the structure and she looked around to see if anyone was there. The feelings of anxiety and dread filled her. She chanted her mantra "Birch Street, Higgins Drive, Cobalt Lane" repeatedly as she got inside her car and yelped as she heard a moan. "What the hell?"

"I'm not going to hurt you, Felicity," Oliver's distressed voice surrounded her car.

"What the hell happened to you, Oliver?" Felicity turned to get a better look at what happened to him.

"How'd you know it was me?" Oliver pulled down his hood. He forgot about his bullet wound for a second as was thrown off by Felicity recognizing him. "So much for revealing your secret," he thought.

"Do you really want to get into this right now? You're bleeding and in dire need of medical attention" Felicity scolded.

"I don't need to be told that. Felicity, please, you have to take me to my, my father's old factory, in the Glades," Oliver ground out, trying desperately to stay conscious. A sheen of sweat had already formed on his forehead and the paint around his eyes started to smudge.

"No, you need a doctor, not a steelworker" Felicity wondered if it was the blood loss talking.

"Felicity, you have to promise me that you are going to take me to my father's factory and nowhere else" Oliver pleaded.

"Yeah, promise. Something tells me blood stains are not covered under my lease. Just keep pressure on your wound, yeah?" She said as she pulled away from QC's parking garage.

Felicity tried to drive as fast as she could without breaking any laws to avoid getting pulled over. There's no way she could spin having a bleeding vigilante in the backseat of her car as something completely normal and legal. Even without traffic, it would take her 25 minutes to get to the factory. She kept checking on Oliver and he doesn't have 25 minutes. "I'm sorry Oliver, this is taking too long. I can't risk getting pulled over because you'll get in more trouble."

"I don't think I have much of a choice" Oliver was already garbling.

Felicity can't believe she's doing this. She saw a secluded parking lot that didn't have security cameras. "Perfect" she thought. "Yes, we do. You've trusted me enough to ask for my help in getting you out of QC. You have to trust me to get you to the factory."

"Ok" Oliver appeared to be having cognitive trouble from the blood loss.

She parked the car and opened the door to help a disoriented Oliver out of the car. "You're going to have questions and there's a time for those later. Right now, I'm taking you to your Dad's steel factory like I promised." She told him as she sat him upright so she could haul him on her shoulders and locked her car. "Felicity, what the?" Oliver asked - confused about his surroundings and what Felicity was planning.

"Shut up, hang on, and trust me" Felicity grunted as she looked around to ensure no one was watching and flew off. Within 5 minutes they land by the factory's entrance. "Oh great, he's already passed out." She set him down by the door checking if he's still breathing and hacked into the electronic lock. Once she was done, she carried Oliver again on her shoulders and entered what she now saw was his base of operations.

She heard the TV reporting about the incident, "So far the police are unwilling to comment, but unsubstantiated eyewitness reports claims that the Starling City vigilante attacked Mrs. Queen in her office earlier tonight. She was unharmed in the assault."

"So that's why he was bleeding, his own mother shot him." She thought as she jumped down and landed with a whoosh surprising Diggle, who whipped out his gun.

"Mr. Diggle? I know this looks bad and weird, but he's been shot and asked for my help to get him here." She explained to a wide-eyed John Diggle. She set Oliver on the medical table. "He asked me to bring him here and not a hospital." That seemed to have snapped Diggle into action.

"Oh, damn it. He just missed a carotid. It's a zone two wound. Press there," he directed.

"I think I should have taken him to a hospital" Felicity was already having doubts.

"No, Felicity, that's why he asked you to bring him here. Because he knew the police would want to know how and why he got the wound." Diggle replied as he rummaged for supplies.

"I'm guessing how and why are Oliver Queen's least favorite questions" Felicity surmised.

"Yeah, well, there's also when and where, he's not too fond of. So if we can't bring him to the hospital, we bring the hospital to him." Diggle returned with some blood bags, clearly gearing up for a transfusion.

"That's his blood?" Felicity pointed, still keeping pressure on the wound.

"Yeah. He stored it for a rainy day. And I say right now, it's pouring" Diggle answered as he pulled on gloves and directed Felicity to Oliver's other side.

"Do you know what you're doing?" Felicity wanted to make sure Oliver's in good hands. She knew she could trust Diggle but with the severity of his wound, who knows what could happen?

"Yeah, I had some medical training in the army. I just hope it's enough. Remember playing "Operation" when you were a kid?" Diggle kept putting pressure on the wound using a towel to stop the bleeding.

"Yes. And it never made me want to throw up." The sight of blood on her hands took her back to that fateful night - Killgrave, the other man, the bus. That night she wished she could expunge from her memory. She started whispering "Birch Street, Higgins Drive, Cobalt Lane."

"Hey, Felicity, listen, trust me. He'll be fine. He's been through a lot worse than this." Diggle eyed her and tried to assure her by placing a comforting hand on her arm. His words helped her break out of the memory she was trapped in and focus on a more pressing matter – Oliver.

Felicity tried to offer Diggle some assistance but mainly stayed out of his way. As he finished closing up the wound, she regarded "Good job. I think."

Diggle observed her as he put down the tools, "His heart rate's elevated, but at least the bleeding stopped. Thanks for your help. You kept your head on. I was thinking all of this would be more of a shock."

"It would be, if Oliver didn't bring me a laptop riddled with bullet holes, ask me to trace a black arrow, and do research for a number of cases connected to the vigilante. I may be blonde, but I'm not that blonde," she retorted.

"Yeah, Oliver's not too great with the cover stories." Diggle knew Oliver's excuses were flimsy and anyone with half a brain could add things up. And of course, Oliver just had to go to a literal genius.

"Neither are you. The two of you with that whole energy drink hangover cure that's actually Vertigo? Please. I had a bet with myself to see how long before Oliver just straight up asks me to do something and say it's for The Hood." Felicity pointed out.

"Yeah, we needed the syringe analyzed so we could take down The Count - when I say "we" that includes you, Felicity. Without you, we never would have found him. Thea would also be serving some sort of punishment if it weren't for you. You've put people on the list to justice." Diggle wanted Felicity to understand how important she's been to their operations even when Oliver hadn't formally revealed himself to her.

"But why come to me?" Felicity always wondered why Oliver kept coming back to her. Thea had mentioned it and she tried to play it off as familiarity with her expertise and proximity to an easy solution.

"Hard as it probably is for him to admit, even Oliver needs help sometimes." Diggle explained. "I hope you don't mind me asking, you came out of nowhere carrying Oliver on your shoulders with little to no effort. How is that possible?"

Though Felicity felt like she could trust Diggle, she was a bit anxious and told him, "I did what I had to do to get him here immediately. I'm pretty sure he'll ask questions, so if it's alright with you, I'll explain it once. It can be a bit of a doozy." His response was a slight smile and a nod.

All of a sudden, Oliver started seizing and the machines were going haywire. "What's happening?!" Felicity ran towards Oliver. While holding Oliver down, Diggle asked her to get a syringe labeled Ativan to stop the seizure. Before she could even hand Diggle the syringe, the monotonous sound from the heart monitor filled the foundry.

"His heart stopped" Diggle said as he prepared the defibrillator.

"I'm calling 9-1-1." Felicity was in panic mode and is mentally weighing the pros and cons of bringing Oliver to a hospital.

"No. Wait, you can't." Diggle was adamant to handle Oliver's injury within the foundry.

Felicity stopped dead in her tracks, she didn't want to see Oliver die but she trusted Diggle's judgement, "You know how to use one of those?"

"We are about to find out." Diggle attempted to use the defibrillator but it doesn't seem to be working.

"You didn't say clear! I heard the charge. That's good news." Felicity ran to the machine and tinkered with the wires.

A confused Diggle asked, "How's that?"

"It means it might not be the machine, it could be the wiring" Felicity tried her best to get the machine working. Oliver didn't have time.

"Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on!" Diggle was getting agitated.

"Try again" Felicity yelled.

"Clear" After two charges, Oliver came back to life. The steady beeping of the heart monitor assured them.

"What the hell did you do?" Diggle wondered as he felt he aged 10 years within the past hour.

"I've been building computers since I was seven. Wires are wires." Felicity tried to downplay it before asking "What do we do now?"

Impressed, Diggle breathed out a sigh of relief "Pray we don't have a heart attack ourselves."

They both lost track of time, Felicity hadn't bothered to check on the time. She busied herself with the computers after getting Diggle's permission to make some updates. Every now and then, the heart monitor would alert them that he's flat lining, thankfully it was only the leads coming loose.

After finishing her diagnostics, Felicity deployed some updates to the system. "Their setup is heartbreaking" she thought.

Her musings were interrupted when she heard Diggle moaned about how it's less stressful when Oliver is jumping off rooftops, to which she laughed. Felicity stood and observed the bows and arrows.

"Oh. This bow has put arrows in quite a few people," Felicity remarked as she picked up the bow.

"Yeah, bad people," Diggle clarified.

Putting down the bow, Felicity turned to Diggle, "That doesn't bother you? Because, and I mean this in a good way, you seem like the kind of guy it would bother."

Diggle breathed out and recounted, "When I was in Afghanistan, my unit was tasked with protecting this local war lord. Gholem Qadir. Qadir was less than human, sold opium and children. One day, we were accompanying him to Mosul when my convoy was ambushed by insurgents. We had them outgunned. Firefight didn't last more than a minute. When the smoke cleared, I moved in on their position. They were all dead. I knew which one I had killed. When I pulled off his keffiyeh, I could see it was just a kid, no more than 18. Shot him in the throat. I killed this kid to protect this human piece of garbage, and I thought, am I still good? Am I still a good man? Doing this with Oliver; doing what we do, I feel good again for the first time in a long time."

"And that's worth all the collateral damage?" Felicity didn't want to make him feel bad, but she wanted to know what he thought of the bodies dropped for Oliver's mission.

"I haven't killed anyone, if that's what you're asking" Diggle defended.

"But he has." Felicity pointed out.

"Unfortunately, there are always casualties when you're fighting a war." Diggle reasoned. Felicity seemed to have accepted that and went back to check on her updates.

At least another hour pass until they heard a voice, "I guess I didn't die. Again. Cool." Both Diggle and Felicity walked up to the medical table and finally breathed a massive sigh of relief that Oliver is finally awake. They helped him sit up and Diggle handed Oliver a blanket and mirror while Felicity went back to the computers.

"It's not bad. So how am I going to explain this one?" Oliver asked as he stared at his new wound.

"Hickey gone wrong? Diggle teased, to which Oliver rolled his eyes.

"The police collected a sample of your blood at QC. I just hacked the crime lab and ordered the sample destroyed like I've done before. Oops." She swiveled her chair and came face to face with Oliver's intense stare. She was thrown off by his sudden closeness. Felicity stole a glance behind him to see Diggle sitting comfortably just watching them. "I hope it's all right. Your system looked like it was from the eighties, and not the good part of the eighties, like Madonna and, well, legwarmers."

"It's a lot of work. Does that mean you're in?" Oliver, as amused as he was with Felicity's explanation, was hoping she'd join them.

"You mean "in" as in I'm going to join your crusade?" Felicity probed.

"Well, you're practically an honorary member of the team already," Oliver coaxed.

Felicity thought about it, she's technically already helping them but officially joining might help get through the list quicker with less collateral damage. "Hmm. So Mr. Diggle said. My answer is yes. Because seeing a network that poorly set up hurts me - in my soul. But mostly, I want to get to the bottom of this list without seeing the bodies drop. I know you're getting better at it and I've understood that there will be casualties." She looks up at Diggle who nods at her. "But I think we can do this differently and more efficiently. Also, my gut tells me, something big is brewing. I hate mysteries and I'd like to help you solve them. Then, I want to go back to my boring life of being an IT girl."

Oliver puffed out the breath he held when he waited for Felicity's response. He was glad she agreed to join him. Join them.

Oliver was still eyeing her when she asked if they had a bathroom. He let out a nervous chuckle. This woman never ceases to amaze him. He told her it was upstairs to her left. As she made her way upstairs, he called her, "Felicity". She turned around and blue eyes shined back at him expectantly. "Thank you," he said as he reached out for her hand.

Felicity gave his hand a squeeze, smiled, and made her way to the bathroom.

Diggle was witness to the pair's interaction and while he appreciated what Felicity can offer, he was worried for her. "Oliver, I know you don't want to hurt this girl and you didn't have any choice in telling her who you really were, but we're asking her to get involved in some pretty dangerous stuff."

Oliver was quick to respond, "We can protect her. I will protect her."

"How? Your mother just shot you, Oliver. You can't even keep yourself safe." Diggle doesn't doubt that Oliver is strong, but he knows that sometimes Oliver doesn't always see the bigger picture and lets his attachment cloud his judgement.

"She was scared. She was defending herself." Oliver rationalized. If he was being honest, he was trying to convince himself more.

"Or, she was hiding something." Trust Diggle to be the neutral voice, even when he didn't want to hear it.

"Diggle, we don't always know why people do what they do. But what I do know is that when I was standing in her office with an arrow aimed at her heart, she begged me to spare her, all on behalf of me and Thea. Now, I've taken down a lot of bad people. None of them brought up their kids, Dig." Oliver belabored his point, trying to convey that until they know what the endgame is, his Mother might still be innocent.

Diggle decided to drop the subject, knowing that driving the point home now while emotions and events were still raw will just cause conflict between him and Oliver. The clacking of heels against the metal stairway signified Felicity's return.

"Felicity…" Oliver wanted to ask her how she was able to get him to the foundry. He remembered getting here in record time and he definitely wasn't hallucinating when he recalled Felicity carrying him on her shoulders and just flying. Further proof that he wasn't hallucinating was the bloodstain on her shoulders.

"I know, you're both wondering what happened and how I was able to get Oliver to the factory so quickly and easily. I'm unclear about the details myself since I stopped asking questions and just accepted what had happened to me." Felicity stared at the 2 men listening attentively and waiting for her to continue.

"When I was a teenager, my Mother and I were in a car accident. She was killed. I survived. Obviously," She didn't miss the flash of pity on their faces but continued, "I was in a coma for over a month. I didn't need physical therapy, which, looking back should have raised a red flag instead of people calling it a miracle. I should have died in that accident."

She saw Oliver's face darkened but ignored it so she could get on with her explanation, "But instead, I healed quickly. The other vehicle in that accident was a convoy that carried radioactive chemicals. I'm inferring the strength, speed, flight, and fast healing were all from that. So yeah, I carried you and flew here. Are you reconsidering the offer to work with you? I won't hold it against you." She waited for their reaction.

"Why would we reconsider? Your super strength and other superhuman abilities don't change the fact that you've helped people, Felicity. As far as we're considered, you've put your powers to good use," Diggle commented.

"But I'm a frea" Felicity started, eyes already misty, before Oliver stepped forward and held both her hands.

"Don't you dare finish that sentence. You helped get people on the list face the punishment they were due. You ensured my sister didn't pay for a crime she didn't commit and put the real suspect to justice. You ensured my identity was a secret even when I fed you the most ridiculous excuses, and you helped save my life. You're a survivor and are doing the most with what you're handed." Oliver stressed out.

Overcome with emotion, Felicity nodded. "I guess it takes one to know one," she sniffed. Oliver released her hands, satisfied that she no longer doubted her character. "I didn't have a chance to formally thank you, by the way" Felicity whispered.

"For what?" Oliver was confused why she was thanking him while Diggle was again happy to watch what was about to play out.

"For this" Felicity tucked the loose strands of her hair to reveal the industrial piercing on her right ear. "I like it."

"It was nothing. You've done more for me and my family and that's just a small token" Oliver grinned.

Diggle recalled the small arrows that frustrated Oliver. Everything about it made sense now that he knew why, or most importantly for whom it was made. "Nothing, my ass" he mumbled. As he went to clean up the med bay, he thought "This is going to be an interesting partnership."

*End of Chapter*

It's finally happened, OTA!

In future chapters, I'll delve deeper into Oliver's and Diggle's reactions to Felicity's powers especially when they see it in person (lucid with no blood loss). I wanted to note that they are accepting of her now, because they can see her intrinsic kindness and motivations.


	8. Identities, Targets, and Islands

_Hi everyone._

 _Another long chapter (I said before that this wasn't supposed to be the norm. I think I jinxed myself). Glad to be back. I hope you all had a great New Year. I'm happy to have finished this while coming back to work as I'm genuinely looking forward to moving this fic further along._

 _I don't own anything and if there are mistakes, I will try my best to identify and correct them immediately._ _Again, favourites, comments, feedback, follows, etc are welcome!_

 _Enjoy!_

 **Identities, Targets, and Islands**

Diggle was deep in thought during his and Oliver's way back to The Foundry after a night of patrolling. It's been 2 weeks since Felicity joined Oliver's crusade and so far, so good. Felicity was adamant about not dropping bodies but also acknowledged that there may be situations that it might be necessary and unavoidable. Oliver had assured her that they will try a new way. Diggle hadn't seen the extent of Felicity's strength but he valued her contribution and expertise. "Who knows, she might be able to help Oliver find his humanity again," he thought to himself.

As soon as the two men got back to the foundry, Felicity stood up from behind her computers and walked over to them. "We need to talk about identities and concealment," she said without preamble.

"We're alright too, Felicity. No need to check for injuries, thanks," Diggle muttered.

"Oh come on. I was on comms the entire time and knew that you were fine." Felicity countered. "We can't keep using our names over the comms. Oliver, SCPD had already tried to arrest you as The Hood, one mention of your name or a glimpse of you with your hood down, and you're done. The grease paint isn't going to cut it. And also, how many Diggles in Starling City do you know would be able to fit John's description? It's not so hard to tie you two together. Don't even get me started on saying Felicity while out and about," she pointed out before concluding, "We need a) better concealment for both of you, especially for John. A ski mask? No offense, but you look like you're about to burgle a convenience store, and b) codenames so we could avoid leaving clues about our actual identities."

The two amused men just stared back at the feisty blonde. "Okay, what did you have in mind?" Oliver asked.

"Oh, I didn't think I'd be the first one to share," Felicity said, a bit thrown off that it took little persuasion from her end.

"It's your idea," Oliver replied with a twinkle of mirth in his eyes.

"I didn't think you'd actually say yes this easily," Felicity muttered. "For you, Oliver how about, Arrow or Green Arrow?"

Oliver thought about it for a few seconds and said, "I like Green Arrow, it's specific and fitting."

"Good choice," Felicity remarked as she saw Diggle nod his head in agreement. She then turned to Diggle, "For John, hmmm. I have some choices: Freelancer, Power Man, or Spartan." She looked at him as he mentally weighed his options.

"I think I'm going to go with Spartan," Diggle confirmed.

Oliver also chimed in "I like Spartan."

"Spartan it is, then!" Felicity exclaimed.

Pleased with his nickname, Diggle asked Felicity, "What about you?"

"As much as I'm partial to Overlord, I was thinking, Jewel or Knightress," Felicity thought out loud, hoping the two men would have an opinion.

"Jewel?" Oliver asked, slightly thrown off by the alias she proposed.

"It was an old inside joke from a few years ago," Felicity chuckled at the memory.

 _"Jewel is a great superhero name!" Trish squealed as she also revealed a white and blue jumpsuit which she insisted could be a great costume._

 _A disgusted Jessica retorted, "Jewel is a stripper's name. A really slutty stripper, and if I wear that thing," Felicity pointed at the pantsuit, "You're going to have to call me Camel Toe."_

Oliver watched Felicity get lost in a happy memory before saying, "I like Knightress." Diggle agreed with the choice.

"Thanks. We have the code names covered, so learn them, use them. No more real names in the field. Now the fun part, better identity concealment for both of you," Felicity said as she pulled a box and a garment bag out from under her desk. "Since I started working with both of you, I thought of different ideas to hide your identities. Since you already have the hood and suit, Oliver, I think this would help." She handed him the box and said "Open it."

The box revealed a dark green mask. Oliver stared intently at it as Felicity explained, "I decided to remain consistent with the dark/forest green theme. The mask is made from compressible micro fabric and should perfectly fit your face without affecting your mobility or ability to aim. I'd suggest you add the grease paint underneath for good measure, but that should help if someone catches you without your hood."

"What do you think?" Felicity asked. She wasn't sure about how her ideas were going to be received. "I'm doing well, so far," she thought.

"I like it. Thank you, Felicity. Will you?" Oliver thanked Felicity as he handed the mask for her to put on him.

Upon securing the mask on his face, Oliver pulled the hood over his head and asked, "How do I look?"

"Like a hero," Felicity answered as she gazed at Oliver. After a few beats, she awkwardly moved back to her desk. "For John, I have something special since you don't really have much other than that ski mask."

"Try not to hide your disdain, Felicity." Diggle teased.

"Heh. So we'll definitely to add another glass case for your suit, John." Felicity stated as she handed him the garment bag. "Open it."

Diggle unzips the garment bag and takes out a black leather Kevlar suit which also has a hood. A mask and a pair of black leather gloves were tucked inside the pockets of the suit. Diggle lets out a whistle as both he and Oliver look in amazement.

"You should have enough pockets for ammo, guns, and other weapons. You also have a voice modulator. I chose black because you always wear black, but we can always modify it. Try it on and see if there is a need for alterations."

"I'll be right back."

Once they were alone, Oliver moved in front of Felicity and squeezed her shoulder as he thanked her.

"It's nothing," Felicity said, trying to cover up the faint blush forming on her cheeks.

"It's not nothing, it's everything," Oliver clarified and gave her a smile.

A few minutes later, John came back dressed in his suit. "Look at you, Spartan," Felicity hollered. "How's the movement?"

"Good, not restricted. It's surprisingly light and comfortable for Kevlar." Diggle commented with a grin on his face, clearly appreciative of his disguise. He held out the mask for Felicity and let her know "It's only right if you get to do it."

"My pleasure," Felicity said as she took the mask and put it over Diggle's face. "All done, Spartan."

Diggle expressed his gratitude, "Thank you, Felicity for all of this."

"You're welcome." Felicity beamed. She took a step back and smirked, "My heroes."

"Okay! Back to business! On your way back, I intercepted a message from within The Triad. It looks like they had something planned for tomorrow's ceremony to honor Malcolm Merlyn." Felicity relayed the information she found just minutes before the 2 men came back.

"So, there's a chance that Malcolm Merlyn might be the target." Oliver deduced. Before Felicity joined the team, Oliver and Diggle had been suspicious of Malcolm. They haven't able to confirm if he is indeed the Dark Archer after Oliver's run-ins with him, but with Felicity's help, they were able to tie him and possibly Moira to something called The Undertaking. Oliver still held out hope that his Mother is innocent and the whole thing with The Undertaking was a misunderstanding.

"While we look into this and plan for tomorrow, how about I order us some food?" Diggle suggested.

"Great, I'm starving," Felicity replied absentmindedly as she typed away at her keyboard.

"There's a Szechuan place on Spear Street that's still open. You both okay with that?" Diggle asked.

Felicity imagined a familiar drawl inviting her, _"There's a fantastic Szechuan place right around the corner. You like Chinese."_

"No!"

Both men whipped their heads at Felicity after her outburst. She thought of an excuse and shook her head. "Sorry didn't mean to yell. I'm avoiding Szechuan food, I uh, had really bad food poisoning when I was in college and it ruined the whole cuisine for me." She tried to rationalize and pretended to shudder for the full effect. "But if you want to order from that place, feel free. I'm just not up for it. In fact, I'm not really that hungry anymore, so don't let me stop you."

The 2 men shared a look, a bit worried after Felicity yelled and unconvinced by her excuse. Oliver shook his head. "You said you were just hungry. How about pizza?"

They agreed with pizza and when Diggle came back, they discussed logistics. "My family and I are already invited to the ceremony, Diggle will be there as my bodyguard and Felicity will be my plus 1. I really don't like the idea of having you there with The Triad waiting to attack, Felicity." Oliver hesitated, but knew deep down she will need to be there, to trace and scan the crowd for Triad members.

"I can handle myself. I do need to be there. I'll try to get out of the way as much as possible. If push comes to shove, I'll act as extra muscle for backup." Felicity assured both men as she bit into her pizza.

"Ok, so we're all set, we'll pick you up tomorrow night at 7:30" Diggle settled as he grabbed himself another slice of pizza.

"Sounds like a plan. I'll be here in the morning to run some diagnostics and also to check if I could intercept some more messages before the ceremony." Felicity reminded the 2 men.

"I'll be here tomorrow as well" Oliver piped up while finishing off his food.

The next day while the club was still closed, Felicity was about to make her way down the Foundry when she heard someone call out her name "Felicity". She yelped in surprise and turned around to come face to face with a smiling Tommy Merlyn. "Please let Oliver be here," she silently prayed.

"Hey Tommy," she greeted timidly.

"Whatcha doin' here, Felicity? Missed me?" Tommy teased but confused why she was at Verdant at 9:00 in the morning.

"No, not really." She racked her brain for a decent excuse to explain her presence at Oliver's club on a Saturday morning. She was about to launch into what she hoped was a plausible reason when she heard, "Felicity, you're here! Tommy! Hey buddy."

"Oliver, thank God," she mentally thanked whatever deity for the assist, until she remembered Oliver was terrible at making up excuses.

"You guys know each other?" Tommy asked with one eyebrow slightly raised in curiosity.

"Yeah, I help Oliver with some tech stuff." Felicity thought she sounded casual and calm.

"She's here to fix the internet system for our customers." Oliver answered a little too quickly.

"We only have internet for our office, Ollie." Tommy pointed out with a look that matched Thea's when an idea is brewing in her head.

"And that's exactly why I'm here." Felicity piped up. "Oliver had asked about enabling internet access to your customers, so I'm going to set up a wireless guest network."

Oliver looked at Felicity and nodded at Tommy.

"Huh." Oliver thought his best friend looked slightly disappointed.

"Sorry, I didn't tell you anything, Tommy. It was a spur of the moment kind of thing and Felicity-" Oliver trailed off, unable to think of other excuses.

"He wanted me to set this up sooner rather than later and since I have a full calendar through next month at QC, this is the earliest that I can make it." Felicity finished for Oliver as she made eye contact with him.

Oliver relaxed a little bit and grinned while Tommy just stared at them. "Okay. I was just on my way out. Good luck and thanks, Felicity! Hope to drink with you again soon."

"Let me walk you out while Felicity does her thing." Oliver suggested and clapped his hand on Tommy's shoulder.

Tommy waved goodbye and Felicity was left inside the club muttering, "Great, now I actually have to set up a wireless network."

As they reached Tommy's car, Oliver asked "You 2 had a drink together? Since when and how did you meet?"

Tommy looked like a weight has been lifted off his shoulders and laughed. "I didn't expect some kind of Spanish Inquisition, Ollie."

Oliver growled and Tommy placed his hands in front of him.

"Calm yourself. I saw her at a bar, alone, fiddling with her tablet and sat next to her. After our introductions, I realized that she's THE Felicity that Thea won't stop raving about, and then the next thing I knew she was giving me life advice. She's one of the good ones, Ollie." He said looking intently at Oliver who looked reassured after his explanation.

"Yeah, she's been great with Thea." Oliver remarked.

"Just Thea?" Tommy quipped.

"Huh?" Oliver feigned ignorance. He knew exactly what his best friend was implying.

Rolling his eyes at his friend, Tommy decided not to push, "Never mind. I'll be at the ceremony tonight. My Dad wanted both Merlyn men to be seen supporting each other. You'll be there, right?" Oliver nodded. "I can't thank you enough for letting me manage the club, Ollie."

"Hey, it's nothing. You're doing a better job of running this thing than I ever will." Oliver reassured.

"By the way, the internet for the club goers - good idea. Alright. See you tonight." Tommy got inside his car, and drove off.

Oliver hurried down to the Foundry and caught Felicity as she finished typing and started collecting some tools. "That was close," he huffed out.

"Yeah, it was. So, I take it he doesn't know about your nightly activities?" Felicity felt uneasy about lying to Tommy but knew Oliver must have a good reason for not being completely open. "You can't exactly judge him about keeping secrets, JESSICA" she heard a voice in her head say.

Oliver turned to her and curtly answered, "He doesn't. It's better that way to keep him safe."

As Felicity stood up and collected her items, she reminded him, "I understand that, but secrets always find a way to reveal themselves in the worst possible way, Oliver."

Oliver contemplated for a bit and changed the topic when he asked her, "What are those for?"

Felicity replied, "Well, since we told Tommy why I'm here, I guess I'll have to set up a wireless network for your guests"

Oliver looked apologetic and said, "Yeah, sorry about that but you didn't really have to do it."

"No problem," she assured. "We might as well follow through so Tommy won't wonder why I didn't do what I was supposed to do. Just don't call it an Internet System next time."

"What's wrong with that?" Oliver asked, wondering what was wrong with what he said.

"Ugh, it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth," Felicity jokingly snapped. "We also need to work on timing and excuses next time. If I complete the setup, which I will today, we'll have no other excuse. Think about that, or at least try to give us a heads up or work around Tommy's schedule. I'll leave my searches on while I'm upstairs." She said as she moved around Oliver to make her way up the club.

Before she reached the stairs, Oliver blurted, "I didn't know you knew Tommy."

Felicity turned around and eyed Oliver. "If you must know, we met once at a bar near where I live. I was minding my own business when your best friend decided I needed company. We had Scotch and I listened to him talk. Didn't think I needed to disclose that when I joined you and Digg."

Oliver gave her a smile and replied, "I was just surprised, but I'm sure whatever advice you gave him was good."

"You always give me too much credit," Felicity observed, looking keenly at Oliver.

Oliver, not one to be outdone, mentioned "You always sell yourself short."

Felicity breathed out, "I'll be back. I have an alert on my phone for when something pops up on my searches."

Felicity came back down after setting up Verdant's guest network and found no other alerts. She and Oliver went their separate ways. Oliver reminded her that he and Diggle will pick her up at 7:30.

Felicity checked her phone one last time to ensure the program she developed to track Triad members and intercept their messages, was working. She wore a simple, but intricate Alarie Dress and heels. She didn't want to wear something colorful in fear of standing out. It's been a while since she got dressed up, even a lot longer since she willingly dressed up. Before Felicity could get lost in another unwanted memory, she heard a knock on her door.

From the peephole camera, she saw Oliver dressed smartly in a suit. She opened the door and felt his eyes on her. "You look nice," he commented quietly.

She glanced at him and nodded, "Thanks, you don't look bad yourself."

They walked to the car in silence and went over the plan once again. Oliver and Diggle have their suits with them. Diggle will hide them inside after he parks the car. They will make an appearance for a few minutes and Oliver and Diggle will slip away while Felicity holds court with The Queens. Felicity will be on comms to direct them and send information on identified Triad members.

The 3 of them walked inside and instantly spotted Moira and Thea talking to Tommy and his father. Thea saw them first and hugged Felicity. "Oliver, I'm glad you made it tonight. I really appreciate you coming," Malcolm said as he scrutinized Oliver and then Felicity.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Oliver responded as he tried to force a smile. A slight nudge from Felicity told him to pump the breaks a little bit.

"Felicity, I'm glad you could join us. Dad this is Felicity Smoak. She works at QC but offered to set up the guest network at Verdant," Tommy introduced.

If Felicity felt uncomfortable the moment they walked in, she felt even more uncomfortable under Malcolm Merlyn's watchful gaze. She was hyperaware that Malcolm was determining if she was a threat. Oliver instinctively moved closer to Felicity who had shaken the older man's hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Merlyn. Congratulations on the award. I'm very impressed with the recent prototype of the Merlyn electricity generator," Felicity remarked as Malcolm gave her a sly grin.

"Thank you, Ms. Smoak. I'm just as impressed. Not a lot of young people follow my company's launches," Malcolm said as he released her hand and eyed her warily.

"Like they said, you can take the girl out of MIT, but you can't take MIT out of the girl," Thea commented as everyone gave an amused chuckle.

"Please excuse me. I think I see some Merlyn Global investors. Moira, I would appreciate it if you could join me and my investors after the ceremony to discuss a possible contract with QC," Malcolm nodded at Moira who gave him a stiff nod. Oliver and Diggle observed the exchange while Felicity talked to Thea and Tommy.

"I'm glad you made it, Felicity. Your added presence would certainly make this night bearable," Tommy remarked as he downed his champagne.

"Were you here alone?" Felicity, pretending to look around, asked as she scanned the crowd for possible Triad members.

Tommy dejectedly answered, "Unfortunately, yes. My girlfriend had to work on a case and though she wanted to join me, her boss has her working on a deadline."

Felicity left Tommy with Thea who was doing her best to comfort her brother's best friend. "I'm getting 9 signals. Keep an eye on the staff, but I'll also be on the lookout for other guests," she whispered to both Oliver and Diggle.

Oliver leaned in to Felicity's ear and softly said, "The award will be presented in a few minutes. I think it's time for us to make our move. Felicity, stay close to Thea, Tommy, and, my Mother. If something happens, you let us handle it and leave with them."

Felicity just stared back at him. They had agreed with the plan and she had her own reservations about leaving Oliver and Diggle blind. She couldn't very well give them instructions if she was with his family. Felicity acquiesced and turned away from Oliver to talk to Thea.

She watched as Oliver "accidentally" knocked red wine on his suit. Felicity heard him, mutter and curse as an old lady said some club soda would help. Oliver motioned to Diggle to get him club soda as he continued to grumble on his way out. Felicity was thankful that the Queens' table was nearby 2 exit options – it may take a bit of navigating but it was close. After a few minutes, she checked her phone again and identified the 9 Triad members, 3 of which are on the 2nd floor assuming their positions. She sent the details to Oliver and Diggle who confirmed over comms that they just finished suiting up. "I'll disable their comms and electronics in 2 minutes so you can deal with those you need to take out," Felicity confirmed.

"Green Arrow's on the 2nd floor. I'll stay in the ground level to take out the Triad members who are out of the ballroom. Will check in with you later, Knightress," Diggle grunted as he made his way to the 2 Triad members. She was glad their codenames are being put to use.

She heard grunts and sounds of punches being thrown. Both men confirmed they're clear. Felicity checked again and found 6 more Triad members on the move in addition to the remaining ones. She discreetly relayed the information back to the 2 men as she pretended to drink champagne. She watched Tommy move towards his Father. They were about to call Malcolm to the podium when she saw 3 suspicious looking men in suits who were definitely not part of Malcolm's security team. She tried to be inconspicuous in getting Tommy's attention but he was looped in to a conversation by one of his Father's old friends.

Felicity glanced back at Thea as the younger woman divided her attention between her phone and the master of ceremonies. She noticed that Moira was nervously looking around. Felicity interrupted the 2 Queens and said, "I received a text from Oliver. He said it's taking a bit of time to sort out the mess but he should be back in a few minutes." Thea just smirked at her while Moira barely reacted and continued to look around.

She excused herself as she walked behind one of the pillars. "I think we have a problem, you guys." She said over the sound of Oliver and Diggle fighting with The Triad. "There might be some non-Triad members making a move on Merlyn."

"Knightress, keep an eye on them. Don't come near. If you see something, yell but don't engage. Spartan, see if you could get a position on these guys." Oliver ordered. The sound of applause filled the air.

Felicity sent Diggle the descriptions and was about to head back to their table when she saw one of the suspicious men pull a gun from his suit. She yelled "Gun" and ran towards Thea and Moira. All hell broke loose – people started running and she heard the sound of gunshots.

She ducked towards Moira and Thea. "We need to go outside," she urged them to move quickly when she spotted Tommy and Malcolm leaving quickly. "Tommy and Malcolm are unharmed" she out loud to Oliver and Diggle's benefit.

"I have eyes on them. Triad members are hot on their trail," Oliver yelled over the comms as Diggle confirmed he is dealing with the gunmen and will try to get information.

"What about Ollie?" Thea yelled as Felicity ushered them out of the building.

Felicity walked over to the chauffeur waiting for Moira and Thea, "He just sent me a text. Oliver said he and Mr. Diggle are safe. They're in one of the sitting rooms and will be on the move once Mr. Diggle deems it safe. He's asked me to make sure you both get home safely. I'll wait for him since he gave me a ride. Mrs. Queen, Thea, please just get in the car. I promise to have Oliver go straight home or at the very least call once I meet up with him."

Though she looked apprehensive, Moira turned to her and said, "Thank you, Ms. Smoak. Don't hesitate to call us if something happens," Moira said as she got in the car.

Before following her Mother, Thea looked at Felicity, "You should go with us and we can wait for Ollie together at the mansion."

"I know, he'll probably be pissed, but I'd rather wait for him here to really make sure everything's okay," Felicity answered, noting the look that Thea is giving her.

"I still don't understand why we can't stay," Thea insisted.

Felicity felt uneasy, "Just go, Thea. I'll catch up with you. I'm pretty sure Oliver wants to check in with Tommy as well before he leaves."

As she watched the car pull away, she checked her phone and saw that Oliver is making his way up the top floors. "Spartan, Green Arrow, are you both okay?"

"Knightress, go to the car park. I'll back up Green Arrow. Merlyn's been shot," she heard Diggle say.

She was about to go to the car park when she heard Oliver tell Tommy that Malcolm was shot with a bullet laced with poison and describes what will happen if he doesn't give the older man a blood transfusion. Felicity tried hacking into the cameras. She heard Oliver speak to Tommy with his modulator off, "Because you always have."

"Oh, God," she whispered as she listened to what she could only assume was Oliver revealing The Green Arrow's identity to his best friend. Felicity heard Oliver divert the conversation to provide Tommy instructions for the blood transfusion, "Later. He's still going to need medical attention to fully clean out his system, do you understand?"

Oliver left just before the SCPD arrived. Several minutes later, she saw Oliver and Diggle, dressed out of their leather suits, walk towards her and got inside the car. Before driving away, Diggle handed Felicity a burner phone. "I swiped this from one of the non-Triad hired men. SCPD arrived before I got them to talk."

"Thanks, John. Don't worry. If you could please drop me off Verdant after you bring Oliver home, that would be great," Felicity requested.

"No, this can wait," Oliver assured her.

Felicity shook her head, "I'm too wired and I'd rather get to bottom of this now. Go home; Thea and your Mother are worried."

"I'm not letting you stay in The Foundry alone." Oliver countered.

Felicity stood her ground, "I'll be fine. Go home, check on your family. If it'll help you sleep better and if I'm still there, then come by The Foundry." Oliver thought about her offer and nodded.

Felicity intercepted an SCPD call and said, "Looks like Malcolm is going to be ok. They took him to Starling General."

"Good thing he was wearing a bulletproof vest," Diggle commented from the driver's seat.

"He's not in the hospital because he was shot. He was poisoned by curare," Oliver explained and breathed out, "Lawton's alive. I'm sorry, John."

Diggle dropped off Oliver home where he assured his family that he was okay and was just shaken up. He watched as Moira received a call and told her children that she will swing by the hospital to check on Malcolm.

Before Thea went up to her room, she turned to her brother, "I'm glad you're safe, Ollie. We were really worried. Felicity promised that you and Mr. Diggle were fine."

He hugged his baby sister. Then was startled when she observed, "She's not just some random girl who you turn to for tech support, isn't she?"

Oliver thought about his sister's question for a second and said, "No, she's more than that."

Thea smiled, "Well, I can't say that I didn't see this one coming. I'm glad you're letting someone in, Ollie. Good night." She gave him a peck on the cheek and made her way to her room, leaving Oliver alone with a myriad of thoughts.

During the drive to The Foundry, Felicity couldn't help but ask, "John, what did Lawton do to you?" Then added, "You don't have to tell me. I was just wondering."

She saw Diggle grip the steering wheel tightly and replied, "He's the reason my brother is missing. Apparently, someone ordered a hit on my brother because he knew too much."

"Is he –," Felicity couldn't finish the sentence.

"My brother isn't dead. He's in hiding after Lawton botched the job. He hasn't missed since." Diggle explained.

"I'll help you find him," Felicity said as she clapped Diggle on the shoulder.

Diggle pat her hand, "Thank you, Felicity. Hopefully once this mess is over, I'll be closer to finding my brother."

As they arrived at The Foundry, Felicity told John that she didn't need him to stay. Diggle was hesitant but Felicity insisted that she'll be okay and will call if necessary. Once alone, she began searching for more information about the assassination attempt on Malcolm Merlyn.

Oliver knew that he wasn't going to get any sleep and decided to text Tommy. He met his best friend outside the hospital parking lot. This was a talk he was dreading to have. Tommy approached him with a blank look on his face, "Your Mom's currently in there talking to my Dad. He's going to be ok, thanks to you." He looked grateful but breathed out, "When people asked you what happened to you on that island, you said "A lot"."

"That doesn't quite cover it," Oliver responded as he saw the betrayal creeping up on his best friend's eyes.

Tommy laughed and looked to confirm, "I saw you kill those guys who kidnapped us when you first got back, didn't I?"

"I know you have a lot of questions," Oliver tried to explain but Tommy interrupted, "Yeah. Yeah, but for now, just the one. Were you ever going to tell me?"

Oliver didn't want to lie to his friend anymore and responded, "No." He then watched his best friend shake his head and walk away with an unmistakable look of disappointment and betrayal.

Oliver gazed at the direction his friend disappeared to and drove to The Foundry where he found Felicity's computers running. The blond was sleeping with her head resting beside her keyboard and her upper body slumped over her desk. He was tempted to move Felicity but didn't want to wake her up. He opted to remove the blonde's glasses. She didn't move at all. He sat by one of the pillars and looked at Felicity. He thought of the fallout from the night's events before sleep took over.

 _Come on, Jessica_. _Don't play the hero with me. He whispered as he licked her face._

Unaware of company, Felicity woke up with a loud gasp, eyes wide as she whispered, "Birch Street, Higgins Drive, Cobalt Lane." She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned quickly. As her vision cleared, she saw the worried faces of Oliver and Diggle who were standing beside her.

Oliver crouched down to her as she calmed her breathing down. "Are you okay? What's wrong?" He looked up to Diggle and they exchanged a knowing look.

Felicity looked at Oliver and smiled, "I'm okay. Thank you. Just a nightmare. Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"Don't apologize; we had several busy days and nights lately. I was going to move you last night but I didn't want to wake you," Oliver told her. Concern still etched on his face.

"You were here?" Felicity asked and Oliver nodded in response. She turned to Diggle as well, "I swear, I'm fine – I just had a bad dream. Let me freshen up and we can check on my searches." Felicity got up and left for the bathroom.

When they heard the door behind her close, Diggle muttered, "I've seen that look before, Oliver and I'm pretty sure you know from experience. In the past two weeks I haven't said anything but lately it's becoming more obvious. Something's wrong with Felicity. I'm fairly certain that our girl is battling with some sort of trauma.

Oliver couldn't deny that Felicity is dealing with something and it worried him that he might have caused it or at the very least, made it worse. He simply responded, "I'll try to talk to her."

When Felicity made her way down the stairs, she noticed a shift in the energy of the room. She knew they probably talked about her reaction. Felicity decided to ignore it and went straight to business. "I traced the phone calls made from and to the burner cell. Majority of the phone calls led to a man named Dominic Alonzo. The rest are conversations between the hired muscles. I looked into Dominic Alonzo's financials and found a Swiss bank account which had a $5 million deposit last night and another $5 million two nights before. The deposits were made from a shell corporation based in the Caymans that was dissolved as of last night. I'm trying to run more searches and see if I can get information."

"So this Dominic Alonzo was paid to put a hit on Malcolm," Oliver said.

"Correct, Dominic Alonzo also runs the biggest underground casino in Starling City when he's not busy facilitating hits. He looks like the kind of lowlife someone would hire to kill Malcolm," Felicity added.

"We get answers from Alonzo to figure out who paid him and we find out the who and why behind the attempt on Malcolm's life," Diggle implied at a confrontation with Alonzo.

"You 2 can't just storm a casino. I developed this tech that will allow us to get access to his computer and nearby devices. If we slip that in, we wouldn't need to risk an appearance from The Green Arrow and Spartan." Felicity explained.

"Oliver Queen is too recognizable and won't be caught dead in an underground casino," Oliver stated.

John knew where the conversation was heading and before he could express his opinion, Felicity responded with "I was talking about you."

"Absolutely not! How would you even get in?" Oliver argued. He met Diggle's eyes and both men were in silent agreement that they didn't like Felicity's idea.

"Look, before you go all grr at me. You're too recognizable as is John." Both men looked at her willing her to continue, "Everywhere you go, John goes. Don't you think it's odd that Oliver Queen's bodyguard appeared at an underground casino? Besides, I know how to count cards. I win a few games and pretend to get caught. They'll give me a talking to in private and I can slip in the tech. I'll be told to return my winnings and they'll let me go. Vegas girl, remember? Besides, I will need you both on standby, should something happen," Felicity said, hoping that both men would understand and agree to her plan.

Hating the idea of having Felicity in the lion's den, Oliver turned to her and said, "Fine. But we do this my way."

They finalized the plan and got ready. A few hours later, the trio stopped a few blocks away from the casino. Oliver handed a dolled up Felicity her betting money, but not before asking, "Are you sure? You don't have to do this."

Felicity kept the money inside her clutch. She looked at his eyes that are filled with worry. She assured him, "I have to do this. Don't worry. You both have my back." She walked to the entrance where she heard Diggle relay to her that the password is snapdragon.

Oliver took his position on the north side of the building, near the entrance, while Diggle was perched on one of the ledges by the back exit.

Felicity entered the casino and walked around as she subtly described the layout and the amount of security. She went to the blackjack table and started playing. She got into a groove. Almost an hour later, she was clapping when she won another round. Though both Diggle and Oliver were still worried, they were impressed with how Felicity was handling herself.

Felicity was about to join the next round when one man in a suit who was 3 times her size approached her and said, "Miss Can you come with me?"

She looked around the table feigning confusion and innocence, "Is something wrong?"

The man grabbed her arm and growled, "Get up."

Unbeknownst to her, Diggle and Oliver had started getting ready to attack. It wasn't that they didn't trust Felicity; it was the armed men around her that they didn't trust. They listened as Felicity babbled on her way to Alonzo's office. They heard Alonzo introduce himself to Felicity and ask her name, to which she replied, "Megan".

Alonzo leered at her and asked "Do you know where the term "86" comes from, Megan?"

Felicity began as she unnoticeably fingered the tech inside her clutch, "As it happens, I do. It's from prohibition. There was a- an illegal casino, not like this one, located at 86 Bedford street in New York, and God, you know, I'm just going to stop talking." She was gesturing furiously and without being noticed plugged the device in Alonzo's computer.

Alonzo looked unimpressed with Felicity and corrected; "Now it means to ban someone, someone who's cheating. You're 86'd. Leave your chips and go." He motioned to the door.

"Thank you. Thank you," Felicity pretended to look relieved, until Alonzo called out to her.

He stepped right in front of her as his guards blocked her exit, "Oh, yeah, Megan, one more thing." He yanked her comm out of her ear and continued, "You see, the thing about card counters is, sometimes they work with a partner."

Felicity smirked at him and said, "You're going to wish that you'd let me go." Without missing a beat she punched him square in the jaw and elbowed his guards. She heard a loud commotion outside the office and was glad that her boys were already on the move.

One of the guards grabbed her shoulder as another was about to punch her. She flipped the guard who grabbed her and tossed him at the one who did get her with a lucky punch. Another guard tackled her from behind just as Diggle came in and fought off more guards that came around a side door. Oliver entered the room by knocking a guard unconscious. He saw Felicity pick up one of the guards and throw him at the table. She then proceeded to punch and kick the guard coming at her as Diggle slammed the last one on a glass table.

"What the hell was that?" Diggle asked, impressed after seeing Felicity in action.

"Team work," Felicity commented as she grabbed her clutch.

They were about to leave when they heard a distinct sound of a gun clicking.

They saw Alonzo who was bleeding from the mouth, stand up and aim a gun at Felicity. "Don't move or I'll blow this bitch's head off," he grunted.

Before anyone could react, Oliver threw a flechette at Alonzo and said, "Your median nerve's been severed. You couldn't pull the trigger if you tried."

He grabbed Alonzo by the shoulders and slammed him on the shelf, "Who ordered the hit on Malcolm Merlyn?"

Alonzo stuttered. Oliver slammed him on the table and held an arrow at his neck. "Who?!" He yelled.

"It was Moira Queen! She agreed to pay me $15 million in $5 million increments. I didn't get the full amount because Merlyn escaped."

At Alonzo's answer Oliver felt his hands tremble. Felicity looked at Diggle. They both heard Oliver shout, "Why did she want him dead?"

"The hell do I know? All I know is that Moira Queen wants him dead. I swear." At his statement, Oliver knocked Alonzo unconscious then walked out of the office.

The ride back to The Foundry was quiet. Felicity and Diggle had a silent agreement to not bother Oliver for a bit. After Diggle changed into his regular clothes, he walked up to Felicity and commended her, "That was impressive, Felicity."

Felicity flushed and shrugged it off, "Yeah, well it's more of a reaction. I might have super strength but I'm not exactly a trained fighter."

Diggle who seemed to be prepared replied, "Which is why I think you need to start training. You're strong, but I'll sleep a lot easier knowing that you can execute your moves better. Don't get me wrong, you were good, but with more refinement, you'd be great."

Felicity smiled, "Thanks John. I'll take you up on that offer. I'll run some searches to see what we can find and explain what we just discovered." It was her roundabout way of letting Diggle know that she was staying behind to keep an eye on Oliver who still hasn't talked.

Diggle bid them goodbye and Oliver only responded with a slight nod and a quiet, "See you, Digg."

Felicity started typing on her computers, eager to find a good explanation as to why Moira would hire someone to kill Malcolm. She heard Oliver pull a chair next to hear and speak up, "You don't have to stay here and look hard to justify my Mother's actions."

She turned to him and said, "I know, but we still need some context and the bigger picture. Who knows, maybe Malcolm threatened her. We'll figure this out." Felicity was doing this more for Oliver and Thea than to exonerate Moira. It's no longer hard to ignore the evidence piling up which confirms Moira's involvement in The Undertaking.

Felicity heard Oliver sigh beside her and was surprised when he talked again after a few minutes of silence, "I wasn't always alone on the island. I endured a lot." She stopped typing and spun her chair to face Oliver.

"I figured," she whispered. Oliver saw no judgment. He was relieved to see understanding.

He asked, "How?"

"The scars," she pointed to his torso. "I can tell which ones were deliberate and not self-inflicted over those that seemed to have been accidental."

"Before the island, I wasn't a good person. I was selfish, thoughtless, awful, and it affected people I loved. The island changed me. I'm hoping for the better. Now I don't know what I'm fighting. Everything that I thought I knew back then seems to be crumbling," Oliver confessed.

Felicity put her hand on his forearm and stated, "No one is expecting you to have all the answers. Your experience in that island was a painful ordeal, but it did change you - for the better. It made you a survivor. You came back as someone who risks his life every night to right the wrongs in his city and protect its citizens. You might not believe it, but you are a hero."

Oliver looked at Felicity intently and smiled. He took her hand in his and said, "You're on an island, too. If you need to talk to someone about your day or whatever hurt you, you can talk to me. I promise."

They shared a look before Oliver pulled her up and led her to the training area. He grabbed his bow and a handful of arrows. "What are you doing?" Felicity asked.

"I heard you were open to the idea of getting proper training from Digg so you could be a better fighter. I'll leave the hand to hand combat with Digg for now. But I want to teach you how to shoot an arrow. Come here," he explained.

"It took me a while to learn how to use a bow and shoot an arrow. I had to slap water several times," he chuckled at the memory.

"You're going to make me slap water?" Felicity pouted.

Amused at Felicity's response, Oliver just said "No" as he handed her his bow and guided her hands and arms to a proper position. He stood right behind her, his chest flush against her back. Oliver adjusted her hips and moved his hands back to the bow and Felicity's back.

Felicity couldn't help but focus on his voice, his scent, his warmth, and his body. She heard Oliver say, "Relax, relax. Now, pull back gently. You need all 3 fingers to come off the bowstring at the same time. Relax."

She did as advised and focused on the target several feet in front of her. Their eyes met before Felicity stared at the target once again. Oliver instructed her, "You'll need focus and control. Using a bow and arrow requires patience and discipline."

Felicity nodded as she regained her focus. Oliver looked at Felicity one more time before he whispered, "Breathe… And release..."

Only the sound of the arrow flying and subsequently hitting its target straight, dead center could be heard.

Neither Oliver nor Felicity moved. He was still behind her and she was still leaning back against him. Felicity craned her neck to look at him and as two pairs of blue eyes met, she smiled and sighed, "Again."


	9. It Takes a Lot to Know a Man and a Woman

_Thank you again for the fantastic response to this fic. I don't own anything and will try to update as regularly as I can. Comments, questions, faves, and follows are all welcome! Mistakes are mine to be corrected as soon as I can._

 **It Takes a Lot to Know a Man, It Takes a Lot to Know a Woman**

Since Dominic Alonzo's revelation that Moira was behind the attempt on Malcolm Merlyn's life, the trio has been hard at work. There were no viable options to quickly get answers other than to confront Moira once again.

"The last time the hood confronted Moira, she ended up shooting you, Oliver," Diggle commented.

"I know, Diggle, but right now, we don't have a choice. Maybe if we corner her somewhere, we can get her to talk," Oliver

Felicity thought about it and pointed out, "Where? At QC, I'm pretty sure security was heightened and you're likely to get caught or hurt. The mansion is also out of the question. Plus, you won't even know if she'll talk."

"We compel her," Oliver grunted.

They were silent for a few seconds until Diggle recalled, "You said when you confronted her, she begged for her life on behalf of you and Thea.

Catching on, Felicity suggested "We can make her cooperate by using Oliver as leverage." She turned to Oliver, "Seeing you be threatened or in some sort of danger could compel her to talk."

"So The Hood threatens or even roughs up Oliver Queen in front of Moira Queen? That'll work" Oliver stated. "So Diggle will suit up, ambush my mother and me, and bring us to a secluded location where we stage an interrogation. If she refuses to cooperate, you start hitting me," he told Diggle who nodded.

"Just make sure you throw your punches," Felicity squeaked at the amusement of her partners.

"Don't worry, I'll just do enough to scare Moira into talking," Diggle assured his blonde friend.

"Alright. Now that's settled, I just hacked into Moira's calendar and I think the night after tomorrow would work best. You can tell her you gave John the night off so the two of you could catch up," Felicity suggested.

"Okay, I'll talk to her. Diggle, make sure the old Queen warehouse on Bachman is clear and secure. Take us there to get answers. Why don't you both discuss the details or start training? I have to go upstairs and talk to Tommy about some club-related items," Oliver said as he dreaded the conversation with his best friend.

The two nodded at Oliver. Felicity got up, walked over to him and asked, "How are things with the two of you?"

"Well, he's been avoiding me at the club and dodged all my calls. He only agreed to meet me since we have to deal with the club's taxes," Oliver replied.

Felicity reached out to him, "He's your best friend and just needs to know your side of the story. Once he knows the truth, he'll understand."

He smiled and squeezed her hand back as he made his way to the club's office.

"Oh great, here's my BFF," Tommy remarked when Oliver walked inside the room.

"Hey Tommy. I already talked to Roger and he said he'll schedule a meeting with so you could discuss the filings for the current tax year," Oliver decided to go straight to business and test the waters from there.

"Okay. I'll expect a call from him, I suppose," Tommy brusquely replied. Oliver was almost relieved that Tommy decided to be civil until he spoke again, "Is there anything else you need to tell me, or are you going to keep things from me again?"

"I'm not here to argue, Tommy," Oliver answered in a placating tone.

"Well, you should have thought about that when you lied to me," Tommy snapped back.

Frustration was starting to set in, but Oliver tried to keep calm and make Tommy understand his side, "I didn't lie to you. I'm trying not to involve my family and friends in my mission."

Tommy tossed the pen he was holding and angrily asked, "Why? Is it because you think I'm some sort of liability?"

"It's not that Tommy, and you know it! What I do is dangerous and will put targets on your backs," Oliver responded exasperation clear in his voice.

"Good to know a murdering Vigilante cares," Tommy lashed out. He knew it was a low-blow but he was still mad and just needed to vent his hurt feelings.

"I'm trying a different way to do things," Oliver growled.

Tommy let out a sarcastic chuckle, "Could've fooled me."

Seeing that Tommy wasn't going to listen to any reason or justification, Oliver decided to go for broke, "Fine! You want to hear something else that I know and am trying to solve? Something's about to happen and it involves your father."

Tommy got up from his seat and yelled, "Keep my father out of this!"

Oliver ignored his outburst and continued, "Our fathers, Tommy! They aren't the men we thought they were. They conspired to do something called The Undertaking even before the island. Whatever it is, it's going to be massive and devastating."

Tommy couldn't believe what Oliver just said, "Do you have any idea what you sound like right now?"

"I know it sounds crazy, but you have to believe me," Oliver urged his best friend.

Tommy roared, "And if I don't? What? Are you going to kill me and my father? What the fuck do you want from me?"

Oliver defended, "That was then! I did what I fucking knew and had to do at the time. I've changed; I found a different way to avoid casualties. I just need you to listen and trust me on this one!"

Tommy stood in front of Oliver and with arms crossed said, "Ok, I'll bite. What is it that our fathers have planned?"

"I don't know yet. But you have to believe that I won't say this unless I know it's going to be bad" Oliver willed him to understand.

Tommy grabbed his jacket and said, "You've already ruined our friendship. Don't you dare ruin what's left of my relationship with my father over your fucking hero-complex and delusional psychosis."

Before Tommy could leave, Oliver called out, "The difference between us, Tommy, is that I didn't find out the truth about my father until it was too late. But you've always known, deep down, you have always known the man he is and what he could be."

"I wish you would have just died on that island and left me with a good memory of my best friend," Tommy said. He looked at Oliver and then left.

Oliver kicked the table in frustration. He could understand that Tommy was mad and hurting, he just didn't know what else to do to fix their friendship, or at the very least make him believe what he said about Malcolm.

Unbeknownst to Oliver, Felicity made her way to the office after excusing herself from Dig to inform Oliver of an alert she set up and the rest of their plans for the interrogation. What she wasn't expecting were the raised voices coming from the office. Felicity caught the tail end of the conversation and rushed over to the parking area where she knew Tommy would be.

"Felicity, what are you doing here?" Tommy asked as he gave her a confused look. When she didn't answer, it clicked. With a humorless laugh, he said, "Now everything's clear. You must be helping Oliver."

Felicity simply replied, "Yes, I am."

"Is he threatening you to be part of his god damn crusade?" Tommy asked as he lowered his voice and stepped closer to her.

"What? No! Why would you think that?" Felicity exclaimed.

"There's no reason for you to be involved with that psychopath and his missions," Tommy retorted.

"Is that what he is to you, a psychopath? That's your best friend who spent 5 years in hell and made it his own mission to clean up this city," Felicity upheld her belief in Oliver and his crusade. She couldn't believe that's how Tommy perceived Oliver and what he is trying to accomplish for Starling City.

Tommy rolled his eyes and said, "I was just trying to check if he somehow bullied you, but it looks like you drank the Kool-Aid and are firmly on his side. Must be some sort of mind control-"

Tommy didn't get a chance to finish what he was saying because Felicity's calm demeanor vanished. She grabbed him by the collar and growled, "Shut the fuck up. You think this is easy for Oliver? He risks his life every night for what? To save this city and people like you who won't even appreciate his efforts. You don't think this chips away at his humanity? He spent 5 years on an island trying to survive and instead of coming home to living his life, he ends up having to right someone else's wrongs." She let go of him. "I get that you're mad and feeling betrayed, Tommy, but at least think of all this from his perspective. He didn't have a choice. It was either let the city burn or do something!"

"He lied!" Tommy said as he straightened his jacket.

"He didn't fill you in on his identity to protect you!" Felicity yelled back.

Tommy leaned in closer and spoke, "I never asked for his protection. How the hell do you know about his identity?"

"Tough luck because your best friend want to make sure you're safe." Felicity added while she tried to control her temper again, "I also figured out his identity on my own. He sought me out as Oliver Queen when he needed tech assistance. Then when he was bleeding after Moira shot him at QC; he didn't have a choice but to get in my car."

Tommy contemplated what Felicity said but didn't say anything.

"You think you're the only one affected by this? You think you're the only one feeling betrayed and hurt? You think you can take your shit and dump it on Oliver? You don't get to do that! Take your god damn pain and you live with it." Felicity exclaimed.

That seemed to have somehow gotten through to Tommy. Felicity decided to help him understand further, "I decided to join him with the provision that we don't drop bodies. I proved to him that I can do it."

The look of realization appeared on his face and mumbled, "You're the hacker targeting the corrupt 1 percenters. It still doesn't change the fact that he murdered people."

Felicity sighed and held Tommy's arm. Relieved that he didn't avoid her touch, she explained, "When he came back, he didn't know of any other way. He was used to just surviving, then had a mission with an end in mind, which I would assume was his death. Plus, this IS a war, Tommy. It might be hard to avoid, but there could be casualties."

Tommy remained quiet and looked at Felicity, "Just a few minutes ago, he said some really detestable things about my Father."

"Your father is starting a war. We don't know his exact plans yet, but make no mistake; it's going to end in bloodshed. I get it, Tommy; this is a hard thing to believe. It's hard for him too, since his own Father had a hand in this. If you don't believe Oliver, at least hear me out. I have no reason to lie to you." Felicity implored.

"You work with him, you're on his side," Tommy who had calmed down, pointed out.

Felicity let out a breath and attempted to enlighten Tommy, "I work with him because Starling City is riddled with corruption and crimes. We're doing a hell of a lot more than the police and the bent politicians."

Felicity could tell that Tommy is willing to listen. He started to talk, "Ollie –"

"Died on that island. Hell, I'm pretty sure that version of him died even before he made it to shore. I understand that you want the old Oliver back. He probably still does too." She squeezed his arm and continued, "But you can't. I'm sorry you feel deceived, but you have to accept that. Both of you grew up. It doesn't change the fact that he's still your best friend. He's just more wounded and hurt by life and left surviving for the past few years. He needs you and his family more than ever. Please try to understand where he's coming from before you write him off."

With that, Felicity left Tommy and went back inside. As she rounded the corner to the stairs, she saw Oliver leaning by the wall. He met her halfway and stood in front of her.

Without moving away from him, she looked up and asked, "Where's Digg?"

"Still downstairs. Felicity-" Oliver answered and was about to say something when Felicity realized he may have heard her discussion with Tommy and thought she may have overstepped her boundaries.

"Look, I'm not going to apologize for what I did. Tommy needed to have his eyes opened. I know it's not my business but I can't let him vilify you when he doesn't know the full story and also when there's so much at stake. I just thought I had a better chance at enlightening him since I'm not the source of his ire," Felicity rationalized

Oliver smiled and she noticed his eyes were filled with unspoken gratitude and pride. "I wasn't mad. Thank you, Felicity. Not a lot of people are willing to defend or even understand someone like me, not even my best friend."

Felicity noted his wistful expression, "Well, you have me and Digg."

He cupped her cheek and leaned in. Felicity's eyes fluttered closed as Oliver invaded almost all of her senses. She breathed out and felt him breathe her in. They could feel the heat in each other's lips as they moved closer. Their lips almost found home but the sound of the metal Foundry door interrupted them.

Oliver and Felicity reluctantly pulled back and saw Diggle address them with a knowing expression after observing their flushed faces, "There's an alert on Unidac Industries. You have to see this."

Before following Diggle, Felicity whispered to Oliver, "I still have hope that Tommy will come around especially now that he's been made aware of his Father's plans."

He nodded and they both made their way to Felicity's station. After checking the alerts, Felicity breathed out, "Oh my God. One of the labs for Unidac Industries was destroyed. Police are reporting multiple casualties. One confirmed victim is Brion Markov, who had an arrow sticking out of his body. Looks like the Dark Archer really wanted Markov and his team dead."

"Or he's tying up loose ends," Oliver offered as another reason.

"What do we do now?" Felicity asked.

"I think we should gather as much information on what happened to Unidac and see if the Dark Archer left any clues that we could use to identify him. We do the interrogation with Moira, as planned," Diggle proposed.

Oliver and Felicity agreed with Diggle. Felicity set up alerts and let some searches run. She bid goodbye to both men after refusing Oliver's offer for a ride.

"No, thank you. I'll need my car since I have to be in QC early tomorrow for a meeting. But I appreciate the offer," Felicity said with a smile on her face. She wanted Oliver to know she wasn't avoiding him.

Oliver understood and with a similar smile told her, "Be careful and good night, Felicity."

After Felicity left, Oliver was surprised by Diggle who pulled out two whiskey glasses, poured both of them some Tennessee Whiskey, and demanded, "Tell me what went down with Tommy and what I interrupted with Felicity."

Oliver shook his head and told Diggle everything that transpired in the past hour.

Felicity's mind was on overdrive that she didn't realize she almost passed by her townhouse. As she got out of her mini, she felt as though she was being watched. Turning quickly, she found a shadow of a man by one of the lamp posts across the street. She tried to get a better look but when she moved, the man disappeared. Felicity looked around to check if anyone was trying to get the drop on her. She did the same inside her home and scanned each room to look for anything amiss. Nothing was wrong or out of order.

Before getting ready for bed, she texted her best friend, Trish: "Humanity sucks and they don't deserve saving."

Within a minute, she received a response, "But you will. Because you're greatness weakness is that you give a damn. Are you okay?"

Chuckling at how well Trish knew her: "Yup. Just trying to get by, Wildcat. Sorry, didn't mean to wake you. I know it's pretty late. Hope to catch up with you soon when my workload eases up. Take care.

She set her phone down and before sleep invaded her senses, she allowed herself to be lulled by the memory of being surrounded by Oliver's scent, touch, and warmth.

Before leaving for QC, Felicity checked her searches and found just a few more details on the Dark Archer's victims at Unidac, but nothing that could reveal the Dark Archer just yet. She relayed the information to both Oliver and Diggle and informed them that she'll continue the searches throughout the day and meet up with them after work. Felicity's day was filled with meetings. She was also visited by the Director of the Applied Sciences Division who opened the discussion about making her a manager for their team.

By 7:20 PM, Felicity was ready to leave and called Diggle to ask if he and Oliver wanted her to pick up food. They agreed on Thai and she placed the order before leaving QC. She was on the phone with Diggle and was about to enter the restaurant when she saw Detective Quentin Lance approaching her.

She whispered, "John, I'll call you back. Detective Lance is walking towards me me. I'll see what this is about. If I don't call back in 30 minutes, check the Thai restaurant on 4th Street or the precinct," then she hung up.

The detective eyed her and spoke gruffly, "Miss Smoak. Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

After exchanging some very forced pleasantries, he had asked her to come with him to the station where he brought her inside one of the interrogation rooms. "Just great," Felicity thought.

"Please. Take a seat," the detective insisted.

Felicity tilted her head and coolly responded, "You know, I think I'd rather stand." The detective gave her a look and she eventually sat down.

"You're not exactly a hardened criminal, are you?" Lance asked as he set some folders on the table.

"No, I'm not any kind of criminal," Felicity replied. Admittedly, she was impressed that she didn't babble.

Not beating around the bush, Lance probed "What do you call computer hacking?"

"A hobby? That I do not engage in." Felicity answered. "That was fun while it lasted," she thought.

Lance leaned in, started taking the papers from the folders to set them on the table and said, "Really? I got a whole mess of computer gobbledygook that I don't understand, that says otherwise. I had my tech guys go through your computer at Queen Consolidated. You used it to hack into Blackhawk squad security to research arrows shipped to a company called Sagittarius, and to analyze a water sample to tie back to a Vertigo drug lab. These are all cases involving The Hood. Tell me, Felicity, what am I thinking?"

Felicity didn't want to show any apprehension or weakness. Technically, she isn't under arrest but she wasn't going to give anything that could give her or Oliver and Diggle away. She leaned back and retorted, "I think you're grasping at straws, Detective Lance. Just because you claim to find those in my computer doesn't mean anything. Are you going to arrest me for doing research?"

Lance watched her carefully and stated, "I don't believe in coincidences, Ms. Smoak."

"Neither do I and I'm not asking you to. Look, you can try to make your inferences, but at best, all you can prove is a bored IT Analyst doing research on The Hood during her break, trying to figure out whether it was a good decision to move to Starling City," Felicity countered.

She knew she was right. Her searches were tame, although very, very incidental. The worst that could happen is for her to say something that would tip him off her actual connection to The Green Arrow.

"This is a dangerous game you're playing, Ms. Smoak. That man, whoever he is, is a criminal," sneered Lance.

"I'm not playing any games, Detective. You know I used to think the Vigilante was a criminal too, but it seems to me, whoever he is; he's willing to sacrifice an awful lot to help the people of this city. Kind of makes him a hero. Doesn't it? He's doing a better job at cleaning up this city," Felicity couldn't help but once again stand up for Oliver, their team, and their mission.

The detective was about to respond to her when the door swung open and one of the police officers walked up to her and said, "Felicity Smoak? You're free to go."

The indignant detective asked, "Schwartzman, what are you doing?"

The young officer responded, "Captain's orders, Detective Lance."

"Don't leave town," Lance told Felicity as she got up and walked out of the interrogation room.

As she turned the corner from the hallway, she gasped at the sight in front of her. All the police officers who were in the area had their weapons raised, aiming either at themselves or to other people. "Oh God," Felicity breathed out. "This is the type of thing that only one person would do. But he can't be back," She thought.

All police officers were blinking while standing or sitting still. Movement out of the corner of her eye made her look towards the glass partition in the reception area. She saw Oliver and Diggle who were just as shocked at the scene on the other side of the glass. She motioned for them to stay where they are. Both men made a move to get to her but she forcefully shook her head. It appeared they understood her and stayed in their spot. She said a silent "Thank you" that they trusted her. Felicity reached inside her pocket and enabled the voice recording.

Lance came barreling through and was also surprised at what he saw. He yelled, "What the hell is going on here? Drop your weapons!"

Through the silence, they heard the sound of a gun being cocked. An officer aimed his gun at the back of Lance's head, "Taylor?"

The officer barked back, "Shut up. Don't move."

Over the loud speakers, the familiar drawl that haunted Felicity's dreams and memories, was heard, "Oh, everyone, calm down, you're killing the mood. Hello Jessica. Or should I say, Felicity? Are you surprised, darling? You had to know I'd come for you. I told you before; I'll always be there for you, better than your Vigilante friend."

Felicity was shivering and shaking her head, "No, no, no, this can't be real." She mentally recited, "Birch Street, Higgins Drive, Cobalt Lane" hoping this wasn't happening.

Killgrave sighed loudly over the speakers and continued, "Did you miss me, love? I've spent so much time and resources to find you. I finally found you and I can't wait for us to reunite." Felicity physically recoiled at what he said.

"I will admit to keeping eyes on you, Jessica. Spies are easy to come by, for me," He confessed.

"Do whatever you're going to do to me, but let them go," Felicity demanded as she tried to keep her voice from quivering. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of sensing even a hint of fear from her.

She imagined him sitting smugly somewhere. Felicity looked around wondering where he could be. She stole a glance at Oliver and Diggle who still had worried looks on their faces. Diggle had his gun at the ready. She heard Killgrave mention, "Well, I have to protect myself, so..."

"Then control me, not them," Felicity interjected.

"I have absolutely no intention of controlling you. I want you to act on your own accord," he clarified.

Felicity was flabbergasted and asked, "Act how? Suicide? Is that why you've been torturing me and ruining my life?"

Killgrave huffed, "Oh, my God. Jessica, I knew you were insecure, but not this insecure. You didn't have a life. I'm not torturing you. Why would I? I love you."

Felicity felt a chill down her spine at his words and countered, "You've never loved anyone in your repulsive life."

Killgrave lashed out, "Don't you dare say that!" He then spoke softly, "I was trying to show you what I see - that I'm the only one who matches you, who challenges you, and who'll do anything for you. Before I met you, I got everything I wanted. And I didn't realize how unsatisfactory that was until you left me to die. You are the first thing; excuse me, person who I ever wanted that walked away from me. You made me feel something I had never felt before. Yearning - I actually missed you."

Felicity felt sick – her throat was closing up and her fingers were numb. She cried out, "You deranged prick."

"I realize this will take time. But I'm going to prove it to you," Killgrave declared.

Felicity shook her head and said, "Stop hurting anyone else. I'm here now. You've got me."

Killgrave laughed, "No, I don't. I'm hoping you'll choose me just like I've chosen you. I believe you will figure out the same thing I did - that we're inevitable."

Every memory that Felicity tried to forget came crashing back. She felt like she was back on top of the balcony, overlooking the streets when Killgrave got to her before she had a chance to jump.

"I'll let you go for now. I can't erase memories, but I can have someone erase security footage and evidence. Is it done?" Killgrave asked what she assumed was one of the IT guys in the precinct.

She heard a faint, "Yes. All done," and the IT guy approached Lance, plucked the folders from his hand and proceeded to shred the contents.

Killgrave explained, "All evidence that you were ever here has been deleted as were the evidence of your connection to The Hood. In 30 seconds, you'll all realize this was a hilarious joke, and you'll let Felicity Smoak leave. You're welcome, Jessica. I'll see you soon darling, and then when you come to your senses, we'll go home."

Felicity looked around and counted to 30 and sure enough, the squad room was filled with laughing officers who re-holstered their guns. She sprinted off to where Oliver and Diggle were standing surprised at the sudden turn of events.

"What the hell just happened?" Diggle asked as they walked to the car. He and Oliver exchanged worried glances as they noticed Felicity was pale as a ghost, shivering, and murmuring to herself.

Inside the car, Oliver shrugged off his jacket and wrapped Felicity in it. "You're shivering," he said as Felicity seemed to have composed herself and whispered a silent "Thank you."

Felicity remembered that she recorded the entire thing and stopped it. "I'll explain everything when we get to The Foundry," she choked out.

The drive back to The Foundry was quiet. Oliver held Felicity the entire time in a move to help comfort her. When they were inside, Felicity stated, "Before I explain everything, I think it's best that you listen to this so you know what I've dealt… I'm dealing with, so here."

She played the recording and looked up to see the shocked and confused faces of Oliver and Diggle.

"This guy says it's a joke and everyone just laughed? Unbelievable. Does he control minds?" Diggle asked.

Oliver looked at her intently and simply said, "He called you Jessica."

Felicity nodded. "I don't know if this will change things. Everything you know about me, as Felicity Smoak, is true. I was born in Vegas, went to MIT, my credentials and achievements, my abilities - they're all true. The only thing you don't know about me is that Felicity Smoak isn't my real name. It's Jessica Jones."

She waited for the 2 men to react and they weren't mad or upset. She continued, "I decided to take on the name Felicity Smoak when I planned to move to Starling City."

"New life, new identity," Oliver surmised.

Felicity nodded, "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you, but I had hoped that by starting fresh, I'd be able to move on. I thought he died. I checked the autopsy reports, but he's not and then he found me." At this point, Felicity felt the hot tears stream down her face.

"Felicity, you don't have to apologize. You did what you could to try to move on. You said it yourself; everything we know about you is true. Now tell us what happened," Diggle's gentle assurance just made her cry harder.

Felicity retold everything - from the moment Killgrave saw her, the time Killgrave witnessed her beating up the thugs who were pummeling an innocent man, to their dates, the moment on the rooftop where she showed the scar and thanked Oliver for making her forget about it through his gift, and the moment where she thought Killgrave died and finally escaped him. She noted the murderous looks that Oliver and Diggle sported when she talked about Killgrave. "Imagine if they knew the exact details," a voice in her head chirped. Once she was done, silence filled the Foundry and she was once again worried how the 2 men would react.

"So how do we deal with him?" Diggle asked.

"We?" Felicity was surprised and whipped her head to his direction so fast that she almost had whiplash. She was sure that after she tells them everything, they wouldn't want anything to do with her.

"Did you honestly think that we were going to let you face him alone? You did what you had to so you could live the rest of your life and keep your sanity. You're helping us in our missions. Let us help you," Oliver told her. He was a bit hurt that she would think they would cut ties with her and abandon her in her time of need, but it was all due to fear. He's been there and knows the feeling all too well.

Felicity's eyes welled up again and Oliver pulled her in for a hug. She felt Diggle rub her back and she couldn't help but turn her head and smile at him. "Thank you," she whispered.

As she sniffed and pulled away from Oliver, she said, "I really, really appreciate your help. For now, we don't need to do anything. Let's focus on The Undertaking."

Oliver tensed up and was ready for an argument, "Felicity, that man is after you. If you think that we're just going to sit idly while we wait for him to move first, then you are wrong."

"I know that! But he doesn't want me dead. He has something planned and while I don't like the idea of waiting for him to strike first either, he's not our priority, The Undertaking is. I'm already worried that he knows I work with you. I'm not going to completely drop this. I'll figure this out and once I have something, I will let you know. We don't need to do anything rash," Felicity clarified and looked to Diggle for support.

"She's right Oliver. We're not completely dropping this, but we're also not going to tip him off that we're on to him," Diggle explained and Felicity was glad.

"I don't like this. I don't like this at all. What if he comes for you?" Oliver reiterated.

"Then he'll have me!" Felicity screamed.

"That's not okay, Felicity!" Oliver yelled. He took a breath in and apologized, "Sorry, I didn't mean to yell. I agree that we keep doing what we're doing regarding The Undertaking, but you have to increase security. You could stay with me at the mansion!"

"No changes, Oliver! Plus, I don't want to expose your family to Killgrave. Look, if it will help you, I'll have a tracker on me. I'll also expand my research on him and figure out how the hell he survived and what he is planning. I'm not going to put anyone else in his radar. Once we're done with The Undertaking, then we can plan this better," Felicity stated with finality. She was glad Olive finally agreed.

"Thank you. For not hating me, for understanding, and sticking by me through this," she said in a small voice, which made both men want to protect her.

"Felicity, you didn't do anything wrong. Stop thinking you're a bad person for wanting to escape him. I don't think there's a force on earth that can make you a bad person," Diggle reminded her.

"We're in this together. We're your partners and we'll help you," Oliver added.

"Sooo, is there anything else we need to know about you, Felicity?" Diggle teased as he tried to lighten up her mood.

Appreciating the effort and consideration that the two men showed her, she answered, "I'm not really blonde."

She saw Oliver's eyes darken before he took a playful peak over her head. Just like that, she felt better. Felicity felt that she belonged somewhere again. She felt exhausted but also like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders. Felicity was relieved that she was able to share that part of her life, albeit under bad circumstances, with Oliver and Diggle.

Oliver pulled Felicity next to him and told Diggle that he was going to bring her home. She tried to resist and tell him that her car is still at the Thai place but Oliver simply informed her that they'll pick her up tomorrow. Diggle offered to drive her car to QC once they're in the office. Knowing that this was a battle that she wasn't going to win, she agreed.

The drive to her place was quiet and she was leaning on Oliver who had his arm protectively wrapped around her. Before she got out of the car, she said "Thank you again, guys." Felicity gripped Oliver's hand and bid him a good night.

Felicity fought the urge to call Trish and tell her that Killgrave is back. She didn't want to worry her friend. Once she has more details, she will let Trish know to be careful. Felicity was tired but she couldn't sleep so she poured herself a glass of whiskey which turned into 2. Once she felt the buzz, she decided to lie down and let sleep try to take her.

After a restless night of sleep, Felicity got ready for work and at 7:20, she heard a knock at her door. She met Oliver and walked to the car with him. During the car ride, they went over the plans for Moira's interrogation.

"My Mother and I will have dinner at Table Salt. I'll sedate her before we leave and pretend that we were ambushed on our way home. When she comes to, she'll see me tied up in front of her, and then Diggle will start asking her questions. You'll be on comms the entire time, Felicity and the recorder will be on." Oliver gave the details.

The work day passed by quickly and the team regrouped at The Foundry. Before Oliver and Diggle made their way out, Felicity called out, "Remember to pull your punches!"

Felicity activated the cameras and observed their locations. She heard Moira pass out over the comms and the men were in action. She saw Oliver carry a blindfolded and tied up Moira to the warehouse where he sat her down and secured her bindings. She saw that Moira was starting to stir and Oliver quietly moved towards the chair in front of her. Diggle had him undo a couple of his shirt buttons and tied him up.

When Moira started talking, Diggle removed her blindfold and say, "Moira Queen, you have failed the city." He walked up to Oliver.

Moira, who was shaking off the effects of the sedative screamed, "Please! Do not hurt my son."

"Answer my questions and I won't have to," Diggle commanded. He then asked, "Why did you want Malcolm Merlyn dead?"

Moira was taken aback by the question and stayed quiet. At her silence, Diggle punched Oliver. Felicity flinched and heard Moira cry out as Oliver grunted.

"Please! Leave my son alone!" Moira pleaded.

"Then answer the question," Diggle roared back.

"He was threatening my family! There's no way for me to stop him, so I paid some people to get the job done," Moira cried out.

Felicity saw Oliver look at his Mother. It was one thing to hear about your parent's dirty deeds, it's another to hear it straight from them. Her heart went out to Oliver and Thea.

Standing behind Moira, Diggle made eye contact with Oliver and carried on with the interrogation, "What is Malcolm Merlyn planning?!"

Terrified, Moira shook her head and answered, "I can't tell you! He'll kill me, he'll kill my family."

"You should be more worried about what I'll do," Diggle reminded her as he marched towards Oliver. When Moira didn't answer again, he punched Oliver.

"No!" Moira sobbed. "I'll tell you, please just leave him alone. Malcolm is planning to level The Glades, so he could rebuild it"

"How?" Diggle probed.

"There's a device that he says can cause an earthquake," Moira answered.

Diggle asked, "How is this possible?"

They all watch Moira hesitate and say, "I don't know."

Diggle punched Oliver again and Moira cried out, "Oliver!" Felicity winced and hoped Diggle was able to pull his punches to the best of his abilities. She turned to the cameras that faced Oliver and was at least comforted that he wasn't bleeding profusely.

Moira yelled, "Stop! It was invented by Unidac Industries. Malcolm used my company's Applied Sciences to turn it into a weapon."

Diggle asked, "Why would you get involved in something like this?" They all knew this was the question that could possibly hurt Oliver the most.

"My husband, he got involved without my knowledge. He was just trying to do some good. He was lost. His decisions left me vulnerable to Malcolm, and I had no choice. I had to protect my family," Moira replied.

"This device, where is it?" Diggle asked as he turned his back to Moira and observed Oliver who was more hurt from the revelations than the physical blows he took.

"I don't know," Moira cried out.

"If you don't tell me, I can't stop Merlyn!" Diggle growled

"Oh, you can't stop him. No, no, no, I told you everything!" Moira screamed when she saw Diggle land another hit on Oliver that caused him to topple over. Felicity gasped at the screens.

"Oliver! No! Please, I know what you must be thinking, sweetheart. I never intended any of this to happen. You know I would never willingly be a part of anything like this," Moira sobbed, hoping that Oliver understands her.

"I don't know anything anymore," Oliver choked out.

Felicity watched Diggle walk behind Moira, put a blindfold over her and a cloth over her face. Moira squirmed until the chloroform took effect. Diggle checked on Oliver as he untied him. The plan was to drive them near the mansion and let them out. Oliver will call Diggle and pretend that he needed some space to think but will head back to The Foundry to discuss their next move.

An hour later, she received a text from Diggle saying that they were on their way to The Foundry. Felicity got the med kit ready, knowing that Oliver will likely need something. She couldn't fathom how Oliver is feeling right now; all she knows is that she'll be there to support him. Since the club was closed, Felicity decided to meet them upstairs.

Felicity was on her phone checking on her alerts when she heard them. As they approached her, she saw that Oliver's face is slightly swollen and his lip was split. "You said you were going to pull your punches!" she screeched at Diggle.

"I did," Diggle defended himself.

"Let me get you an icepack," Felicity offered.

Oliver stopped and looked Felicity in the eye, "I'm fine." They were about to go down to the Foundry when they heard a voice call out, "You were right."

They turned and saw Tommy, "You both were. I'm not here to pick another fight, Ollie. I'm here to warn you that my Dad is the other archer terrorizing this city and that he plans to level The Glades.


	10. Out of the Blue and into the Black

**Out of the Blue and into the Black**

A collective "What" was heard around the empty bar. This shouldn't have surprised Diggle and Oliver since they suspected Merlyn was the Dark Archer even before Felicity joined the team. However, it still shook them up, especially when that fact was revealed by Tommy.

Oliver decided that they need to talk about this more. Given that Tommy was already aware of his identity, they needed to move the conversation along, "Let's have this discussion downstairs."

Tommy nodded and followed the team to The Foundry. He let out a low whistle upon seeing the equipment and weapons. He wondered aloud, "How did I last this long managing the club without ever going down to the basement?"

Felicity gave Tommy a small smile which was returned. Oliver saw the subtle exchange and was relieved that there was no hint of any animosity.

Diggle got back into the discussion, "So, Tommy how did you find out about your Father?"

Tommy huffed out and recounted, "When we were attacked during the awards ceremony and my Dad took us to his penthouse, I saw something before he passed out. He had a hidden room. My Dad was about to go inside, but he got shot. I was crouching behind a sofa and before the door closed, I caught a glimpse of some things inside. He had a case that's similar to what you have right there but he had a black suit with a mask and a stand with a bow."

Tommy sat down and looked at Oliver as the team remained quiet, "After our fight, I had dinner with my Dad where he apologized for not being there for me. I know, it seemed ridiculous and a bit late for my liking. He said he'll make it up to me after his plans to rebuild the city come into fruition. He planned to level The Glades. He hasn't divulged anything else but he told me I will know soon because I need to prepare. He also confessed to seeking refuge somewhere in Tibet where he was able to get over Mom's death by getting stronger and having a different mindset. He intended to come clean about it after the awards ceremony but we were attacked. He said he learned necessary skills to be stronger and to make Starling City a better place."

Oliver cleared his throat and hesitantly asked, "Does he know about me?" He waved his hand around The Foundry. Felicity and Diggle held their breath. They knew Tommy wouldn't be here telling them the truth about Malcolm if he had divulged Oliver's secret, but there is a part of them that worried since he stormed out in anger just a couple of days ago. Anger and secrets are never good combined.

Tommy shook his head, "No. As far as he knows, we had a falling out because I got upset that you only allowed me to manage Verdant out of pity. He offered me a business development gig in the interim. I told him that I'll join him tomorrow at Merlyn Global to see if it's a good fit."

Tommy sensed the way the team relaxed at how he spun his situation with his Father. "You don't have to worry about your secret, Ollie. It's safe with me and it will stay that way. What you and Felicity told me made sense. I'm sorry, I should have believed you."

Oliver walked up to Tommy and assured his friend, "Hey, you have nothing to apologize for – you didn't know what he was planning. Now that you do and I'm glad that you trusted us so we can plan better. We actually obtained some details about The Undertaking just a couple of hours ago."

Felicity spoke up, "This is helpful, Tommy. And the recent attack on Unidac Industries makes sense now - Malcolm was trying to tie up some loose ends by killing Dr. Markov and his staff. If he hasn't asked you to immediately prepare or leave town, then it means we still have a bit of time to intercept his plans.

"We need to know the location of the device so we could stop it and most importantly get his timeline," Diggle added.

"What can I do?" Tommy asked.

Everyone looked at Tommy, but before Oliver could veto his possible involvement in their mission, he offered, "Look, I know I'm not a trained fighter or a certified genius," he winked at Felicity before continuing, "But right now, I think I can help with some data gathering from my Dad's end. Starling City is my home too and I don't want to see even a part of it get decimated as a demented way to avenge my Mom's death."

Feeling the tension in the room, Diggle gave his thoughts which supported Tommy's idea, "Oliver, I know you don't want Tommy in the crosshairs, but right now, we got everything we could from your Mom. I'm not suggesting we go guns blazing on Malcolm, but at least let's see what we can use to our advantage through Tommy. Once we have details, then WE do the dirty work."

"At the risk of being the recipient of Oliver's angry face," Felicity babbled as Tommy snorted, "We can use Tommy taking up his Dad's offer at Merlyn Global to our advantage. Then we, and by we I meant yours truly, could try to access the company's mainframe from the inside."

Oliver didn't bother to hide how conflicted he was – it was a solid idea to have a man who Malcolm wasn't going to touch from the inside, but he was worried that Felicity could land herself in Malcolm's web. Malcolm won't hurt his only living family member, but the same can't be said for a stranger like Felicity. He eventually acquiesced, "Fine, but Diggle and I will be on standby."

"Don't worry, we'll be careful and if push comes to shove, I'll cover Tommy," Felicity promised as she placed her hand on Oliver's shoulder.

"I'm hoping to avoid a situation where you will have to cover anyone," Oliver whispered to Felicity.

They agreed that Felicity will swing by Merlyn Global to pick up Tommy for lunch. Tommy will give Felicity a tour where she will get access to the company mainframe. Oliver and Diggle will wait across the street in case Felicity needs backup.

Once the details were ironed out, Tommy marched up to Oliver, "Ok, now that's settled, Ollie, can I talk to you for a second?" They move to the other side of The Foundry. Oliver met Felicity's eyes and she gave him an encouraging smile.

"Bear with me and please don't interrupt. I'm sorry for how I reacted. You didn't deserve any of the hateful words I directed at you." Tommy sheepishly admitted before continuing, "When you came back, I thought that since I had my best friend again, we can just pick up from where we left off. I tried to ignore the fact that you basically had to survive in an island for several years. When you revealed that you were The Hood, I just felt scared and hurt. Scared that you became a different person and more changes could happen and hurt that you didn't trust me enough to let me in on all of this. I should've been more considerate of what you've gone through and your mission. I also should've been more understanding about why you do this. That said, if it's alright with you, I'd like to be the supportive best friend that you deserve," Tommy explained.

Oliver didn't waste any time and said, "Of course," and pulled Tommy for a bear hug. "I have to apologize too. This is all new to me and in case you haven't noticed, I'm not very good at talking about… things. I'm getting there. You have to know; not telling you was the only way I thought I could keep my friends and family from being targets. Someone did tell me secrets can reveal themselves in the worst possible way, and I should've listened."

Oliver was glad that he and Tommy have cleared the air. It was one less truth that he had to withhold and one less person who he had to lie to about how he spent his nights. He didn't like that Tommy is going to be involved in the mission, but he trusted him and his team.

"Now that's settled, I think I need to also make amends with a certain blonde genius over there. You're lucky to have her on your side, buddy. She believes in you - don't mess it up," Tommy commented as he waggled his eyebrows.

"I won't. She's… special," Oliver admitted to his best friend. He might as well allow one more truth to come out.

Before making his way to Felicity, Tommy turned back to Oliver and said, "For the record, I'm glad you're back. I never wished or meant what I said the other day. I couldn't even bring myself to say it now. I'm sorry, again."

"I know, buddy. I'm glad to be back too," Oliver mumbled.

Tommy pulled a chair towards Felicity's desk, tapped her knee, and said, "Hey. I'm on an apology tour and you are definitely a stop I need to make." Felicity smiled and turned her chair towards him.

He breathed out before apologizing, "I'm sorry for presuming things that were uncalled for and most importantly, for taking out my anger on you."

"Apology accepted," Felicity replied as Tommy pulled her in for a hug,

"I also wanted to thank you for shedding some much needed light on my friendship with Oliver. Thank you for having his back and being there for him when I couldn't," Tommy whispered in her ear. He pulled away as he noticed Oliver was looking intently at them.

"I don't think The Hood would be able to continue with his mission differently without you. You have to know you're more than his IT Girl," Tommy said as stared at Felicity.

"The Green Arrow," Felicity mumbled

"What?" Tommy asked, confused.

"He's called The Green Arrow now," Felicity clarified.

"Okay. Do you have a code name too?" Tommy asked.

"You're talking to Knightress and Spartan is over there with his guns. And by guns I meant his Glocks, not his massive arms," Felicity mumbled after pointing to Diggle's direction.

Tommy cackled at Felicity's flub and then jokingly asked, "Do you think I'll get a nickname too?"

Oliver approached them. Felicity rolled her eyes and replied, "Hey, slow down, wine and dine us first before you get us in bed. You have to earn your code name, buddy."

Tommy laughed harder and made a mental note to do something about Oliver's look of adoration for Felicity. He has never seen Oliver looked at a woman with so much affection. "It's ridiculous," he thought. He was happy that despite fighting a war and taking on a dangerous mission, Oliver has found someone who could still connect him with his humanity.

Tommy double-checked the plan with the team before leaving. Diggle had also excused himself for the night and agreed to pick up Oliver so they could go to Merlyn Global together. Felicity mentioned she was running a search and will leave shortly.

Oliver kept stealing glances towards Felicity's direction. She could sense him looking and decided to break the silence. "So, how do you feel about all this?"

Oliver set one of his arrows down and took a seat on one of the chairs near Felicity's workstation. "I feel relieved that Tommy knows. Betrayed and confused that my Mother was involved. Enraged that Malcolm had a hand in what I went through. But right now I'm anxious about our plan but glad that we're a step closer to foiling The Undertaking."

"Hey, we can do this. You're not alone anymore, Oliver. You have me, Dig, and Tommy. We're in this together – we'll figure out a way to stop The Undertaking and then we'll rebuild the city – our city. It's not going to be easy, history is on our side, but nothing worthwhile ever comes easy," Felicity assured him.

It might be far from over, but knowing that he had people who is fighting alongside him made him more confident that they can do this.

The next day, Oliver and Diggle tailed Felicity when she went to Merlyn Global during the lunch hour. Before getting out of her car, she put her comm on and opened the line. She heard Oliver speak up, "Felicity, Tommy's already waiting at the lobby, don't forget-"

"Yes, Oliver, we'll be careful and back off at the early signs of trouble. If we need extraction, our safe word is brunch." Felicity grumbled and heard Diggle chuckle while Oliver huffed. She could already imagine him shaking his head and rolling his eyes. "Relax, Oliver, we got this. The sooner I meet up with Tommy, the sooner we could leave."

"I know, just be careful and keep your line open," Oliver repeated.

Putting his comm on mute and signaling for Oliver to do the same, Diggle chided, "I get that you're worried, but you have to trust Felicity and even Tommy to get this done."

Oliver breathed out and responded, "I know that Dig, I'm not worried about Tommy. Malcolm won't touch him. It's Felicity that I'm worried about – we're putting her on The Dark Archer's radar."

Diggle remained silent. He looked ahead and then spoke, " _Felicity_ Smoak is one of the smartest, _most badass women_ on the planet. No one, not even a mind controller, a Green Archer or a Dark Archer, can change that."

Oliver thought about responding but heard Felicity greet Tommy who had led her to the elevators, pretending that he's giving her a tour of Merlyn Global. When they reached the floor where the mainframe is located, they heard Tommy whisper, "The coast is clear, okay."

There were no guards and Tommy ushered Felicity to the mainframe. Felicity instantly got to work while Tommy was on the lookout. "How long do you think it'll take you to do your magic, Felicity?"

"A couple of minutes at most – I'm not going to overstay my welcome on the off chance I get caught," Felicity answered without even looking up at Tommy.

A minute passed and Tommy was about to do a countdown. He heard a noise from the outside and informed Felicity, "Uh, are you almost done? We might have some company."

"30 seconds, Tommy," Felicity replied as she willed everything to go faster.

"We might not have that," Tommy commented nervously as he heard guards come in closer.

"You guys okay, there?" Oliver asked. He was worried that they are going to get caught.

"Aaaand, I'm done!" Felicity fist pumped and unplugged her tablet as Tommy grabbed her. Hiding wasn't an option so they had to exit from where they entered.

"Just follow my lead," Tommy whispered and Felicity nodded in response.

As they walked out, they heard one of the guards call out to them, "Hey, you're not supposed to be-" Tommy and Felicity turned to face the guards, "Oh Mr. Merlyn, it's a pleasure to see you."

"Yes, I 'm just giving a friend of mine a tour of Merlyn Global before heading out to lunch. If you'll excuse us, we'll be on our way. Nice to meet you, gentlemen," Tommy answered and led Felicity inside the elevator.

"Smooth," Felicity commented as Tommy winked at her. "I got everything we need guys, I'll start the decryptions remotely and analyze these later in The Foundry," Felicity spoke to Diggle and Oliver.

"Good job you guys," she heard Diggle remarked.

When Tommy and Felicity got to the lobby, they stopped in their tracks as Malcolm saw them. "Tommy, are you heading out to lunch?"

"Hi Dad. This is my friend, Felicity Smoak. You might remember her from the awards ceremony from hell. She and I were about to go to lunch. It's been a while and our schedules haven't aligned until recently," Tommy answered carefully.

"It's a pleasure seeing you again, Mr. Merlyn. I'm sorry to hear about your special night being ruined by some unsavory individuals. I'm glad you have recovered nicely," Felicity said as she reached out to shake Malcolm's hand.

"I appreciate your concern, Ms. Smoak. Thank you, I'm up and about. And please, call me Malcolm," the older man responded as he gave her a firm handshake. "I don't have any lunch plans, if you don't mind, I'd be more than happy to join you."

"Please call me Felicity. Uhm, if you wanted to have lunch with Tommy, I'm sure he and I can reschedule so you both could have some time together," Felicity replied with caution. She heard Oliver curse over the comms. He and Diggle were already planning an extraction for her. She eyed Tommy who seemed to have been just as worried at the sudden turn of events.

"Nonsense! You're here already, so why reschedule? Plus, I certainly would like to know more about Tommy's friends, especially the smarter ones. So, where to?" Malcolm insisted.

"Uh, we were planning on going to the truck stop near the Civic Center, Dad. We figured we could choose whichever food truck appeals to us when we get there. Although I must say, I have a hankering for an Indian Burrito, so that place is perfect," Tommy retorted. He thought that if he chose the most casual dining experience, he could shake off his Dad.

"Oh, well I have never been to that place before, Son. This might be a good time to try something new," Malcolm replied despite the barely hidden displeasure at the idea of grabbing lunch at a truck stop.

"I'm driving by the way, I hope you won't mind riding in a Mini. It's a lot more spacious than you would expect," Felicity defended as she tried to add to Merlyn's distaste towards their lunch plans.

"Maybe you should reconsider your employment at QC, Ms. Smoak. Merlyn Global could definitely pay you a lot more to afford something less…compact," Merlyn commented as they got in the car.

"That's very kind of you, Mr. err, Malcolm. It's actually a conscious decision. I live by myself and this is a very efficient vehicle," Felicity muttered as she drove.

The car ride was quiet and incredibly uncomfortable. Felicity was informed by Diggle that they would be following her and observing them from a distance. Malcolm talked mostly about business while both Felicity and Tommy occasionally piped up. They got to the truck stop, bought their food, and grabbed one of the tables so they could eat.

Malcolm decided to break the silence, "So, Ms. Smoak, when did you start working at QC and what made you choose it?"

Felicity looked at Tommy and finished chewing when she answered, "Almost a year now. They've always been at the forefront of technology and it's one of the companies that offered a promising position."

"Send me your resume and I'll see what Merlyn Global can offer. We're always on the lookout for new talent and who knows, maybe with you onboard, we can rival QC's Applied Sciences division," Malcolm teased.

"Oh, I wasn't angling for a job, but thank you and I might take you up on that. I'm very passionate about technology, specifically using technology to transforming the underbellies of cities," Felicity commented. She felt Tommy nudge her knee and heard Oliver and Diggle tell her not to provoke the beast.

"Interesting," Malcolm murmured.

"I just think this is a prime opportunity for both sides – the city and the big corporations. Call it a shared prosperity agenda. If the city can provide tax breaks, this could be a massive economic success that could rebuild seedy, poverty-infused neighborhoods," Felicity challenged as she heard Oliver growl in her ear.

"Well, I don't know about that. It might be too optimistic to expect people to change, but to each their own, I suppose," Malcolm

"Just curious, do you have any thoughts on how to rebuild slum areas?" Felicity bravely asked.

Before Malcolm could answer, Tommy interrupted, "Shoot, Felicity! Sorry, it's 12:48 and I promised to get you back in time for your 1:00 meeting." Tommy squeezed her knee to make sure she goes along and cut the discussion short.

Felicity feigned surprise, "Oh, my! Thanks for reminding me, Tommy! Sorry, I didn't mean to cut this short but since I drove us, is it okay if we wrapped up?"

"No, not at all. There's always a next time, Felicity," Malcolm coolly responded.

After Felicity dropped off Malcolm and Tommy at Merlyn Global she drove straight to QC where she saw Oliver and Diggle waiting for her at the parking garage.

"I know what you're going to say, but before you yell at me for going toe-to-toe with Malcolm, let me just say, he was challenging my idea," Felicity preemptively explained.

Oliver huffed out, unimpressed, "I'm glad you're alright but that was bordering on careless. We'll see you at The Foundry." Oliver gave her arm a squeeze as he and Diggle left Felicity contemplating the shift in Oliver's mood.

When she got to The Foundry, her decryption had already finished. She analyzed the information and called out, "Guys, Merlyn's keeping the earthquake device at a warehouse his company owns in The Glades. It's the one on Bryant and Ocean."

Both men moved to suit up and Oliver announced, "Good work. We coordinate an attack tonight. Diggle, you go to the warehouse and take the device, while I take on Merlyn. Felicity, I need his location."

"Merlyn is still at his office. John, let me know if you need backup at the warehouse. Both of you, be careful," Felicity reminded them as they left.

Oliver got to Malcolm first and Felicity heard him yell, "Malcolm Merlyn, you have failed this city." She overheard Malcolm respond cockily with no hint of fear.

Felicity was about to check on Diggle when she heard him go online, "Green Arrow, Knightress - the device… it's gone!"

"What? That can't be right; the records show no signs of it being moved. The last communications show that it was stored there." Felicity countered.

"Well, it looks like he may have moved it recently. No sign of the device here," Diggle confirmed.

Felicity heard Oliver bellow out, "Where's the device?"

"Spartan, go to Merlyn Global. Green Arrow needs back up, NOW." Felicity ordered as she had a bad feeling about the confrontation. She knew Malcolm had bested Oliver in all of their meetings, and right now, he needs his partner. She would go to Oliver, but she had turned her attention to the missing earthquake device.

Felicity listened as Malcolm cockily replied to Oliver, "Safe, I had it moved for precaution. There is nothing you can do to stop what is about to happen - and you shouldn't. This city needs what is about to happen in order to survive. The people who are destroying it from the inside need to be erased from the planet. Let's start with you."

She heard grunts and Oliver dodging Malcolm's attacks. "Green Arrow, Spartan is coming, just hold on, okay?"

Malcolm didn't even bother to hide the fact that he is the Dark Archer, "Ironic, isn't it? Last Christmas, I almost killed you. A few months ago, you saved my life. And now you're here trying to kill me. You should make up your mind."

She muted her comm so as not to distract Oliver with her worry and any background noise from her end. All of a sudden she only heard static. Felicity screamed, "O- Green Arrow! Green Arrow! Can you hear me?"

"What the hell happened?" She heard Diggle ask. "I'm 10 minutes away from Merlyn Global."

Felicity checked the security and traffic cameras but couldn't find anything. A few minutes later, she heard Diggle confirm what she had already feared, "He's gone. There are signs of a struggle but no signs of him. I didn't see anyone on my way here either. I'm coming back so we can regroup and plan a rescue."

"Okay, no luck on any of the security or traffic cameras. How the hell is it possible?" Felicity grumbled.

When Diggle got back, Felicity was already on the move, "I think Malcolm got away through an underground passage. I pinged Oliver's tracker to get his last known location. Nothing exact at the moment, but if I get nearer, I could probably trace him and get to him before it's too late."

"Let's move," Diggle announced.

Oliver's last known location was an underground parking structure near The Glades. Felicity cross-referenced any properties owned by Malcolm and Merlyn Global. Diggle pointed out that they shouldn't split up to avoid getting outnumbered and subsequently requiring rescue. There were 5 properties near Oliver's last location and they hoped they get to the right location before it's too late.

Somewhere in The Glades, Oliver started coming to and noticed his hands were chained from the ceiling in some sort of concrete basement. He turned to the sound of Merlyn's voice, "I hope I didn't hurt you. Now that we are quite familiar with each other, I can formally thank you for saving my life. If I only knew how you were spending your nights. My hope is that I can explain everything to you to help you understand."

Oliver couldn't contain his anger and roared, "Understand, what? You murdered my father! You sentenced me to that island, to years of hell."

Malcolm circled Oliver and commented, "I am truly sorry for what happened to you. You know I have lost people."

"Yeah, your wife. Do you really think that you're honoring Tommy's mother by destroying The Glades?" Oliver was shaking in fury at the man who was the root cause of his suffering.

Malcolm showed no remorse as he answered, "As surely as you believe you're honoring your father with your hood. Not a day goes by I don't miss your father. Don't worry, you'll see him soon. You can't beat me, Oliver. Yes, you're younger. You're faster, but you always seem to come up short against me. Do you want to know why? Because you don't know, in your heart, what you're fighting for, what you're willing to sacrifice. But I do. No one can stop what's about to come. Not even The Vigilante."

He took one last glance at Oliver before leaving the younger man alone. As soon as Merlyn shut the door, Oliver tried to get out of his chains. He was starting to make progress and put weight on the chains to force it to come off but stopped when he heard a commotion outside.

The door flew open and Oliver recoiled, getting ready to fight until he saw Felicity barrel through and toss one of Merlyn's guards across the room. She jumped and flew to the ceiling where the chains were attached and started yanking on them. "Don't move, I'll get you out of these," she instructed.

Oliver watched as Felicity yanked the chains off the ceiling one by one and dropped them down to the floor with her. He asked, "Where's Digg?"

"Outside, dealing with Merlyn's lackeys. I had to come get you, hold your hands out so I can get these off you. Are you alright?" Felicity asked and Oliver nodded to assure her that he is okay. Felicity just finished wrenching the links around Oliver's wrists when Diggle came through only to be followed by more of Merlyn's minions.

The trio fought off the guards and Felicity used the discarded chains as a weapon. She used some of the moves that Diggle taught her and was about to move on to the next guard when she suddenly fell to her knees. "Aaaahh," she screamed.

"Felicity!" Oliver finished off the guards he was fighting but she got back up and punched the man who electrocuted her and threw him against the wall.

"I'm fine," Felicity grunted. She picked up the chain, flung it at the man approaching her and then choked him into unconsciousness. After finishing up, Diggle checked the perimeter for any incoming guards.

Oliver made a beeline to Felicity and cupped her cheek. "Are you okay?" She nodded and leaned into his touch.

"I should be the one asking you that, being the rescuee," Felicity tried to joke. She felt a little lightheaded after being subjected to some sort of high-powered electric shock baton. She quickly scanned Oliver for injuries and was relieved that he wasn't too bruised.

"Let's go" Diggle called out.

"How did you find me?" Oliver asked as they got in the car.

"Man, I've never been more thankful of the tracker you have on your boot," Diggle answered as they made their way back to The Foundry.

After cleaning up and checking on their injuries, the team regrouped. "I think it's safe to say that Merlyn is going to move up his timeline," Oliver commented.

"We need to find the device and also warn the people to evacuate The Glades," Diggle added.

"I'll reach out to Tommy tonight and see if his Dad gave him a warning to flee town," Oliver stated. The two men shared a look as they noticed Felicity hasn't talked and was just scowling at her computers.

"You're unusually quiet, Felicity. Are you sure you're okay?" Oliver's concerned face interrupted Felicity's train of thoughts as she stared blankly at the monitor in front of her while shuffling the pages of The Notebook.

Felicity regarded Oliver and shared her thoughts, "Uh, yeah. Just thinking. We couldn't find you from any of the traffic cameras around Merlyn Global after your comm went static. We realized Malcolm has access to an underground passageway that lead to The Glades where we found you. If I had a machine that could trigger an earthquake in an otherwise geologically stable area, where would I position it?"

Both men answered, "Underground."

Felicity enlarged a graphic on her screen and showed it to Diggle and Oliver, "This symbol is a map of the old subway tunnel system and it supports what we already know – that The Undertaking is connected to The Glades."

She showed another graphic on a different screen and explained, "Here's a U. S. geological survey of the tectonic plates running underneath Starling City. This red line here is a known fault that runs right below The Glades. The fault runs about a mile underneath the old Tenth Street subway line. Dollars to donuts, the seismic device is somewhere along there."

Felicity waited for a reaction and saw the exact moment Oliver came to a realization. "I know exactly where it is. It's in an abandoned subway station near Puckett Street."

Diggle eyed Oliver before asking, "How do you know?"

"That's where Malcolm's wife was murdered," Oliver revealed.


	11. What Are You so Afraid to Lose?

_Hello everyone. This chapter took a bit longer to finish even though I had most of the dialogue and plot outlined. There was a lot going on with work that completing the chapter just took longer than I expected._

 _This chapter begins right where the previous one left off - The team trying to stop The Undertaking._

 _Thanks again for the support. Your feedback, kudos, bookmarks, etc. are all appreciated! I don't own anything and this isn't beta'd._

 _Hope you enjoy this update!_

 **What Are You so Afraid to Lose?**

After identifying the location of Malcolm's earthquake device, the team strategized their next steps.

"If we move now, we risk Malcolm activating the earthquake device without us making sure the people in The Glades are safe," Felicity pondered.

"We move tomorrow night. First, we need to confirm if the device is in fact where we think it will be and then try to deactivate it. Knowing Malcolm, he might do this at the very last minute. The good thing is, Tommy hasn't alerted us that he's been warned by Malcolm. I need to find a way to get the people in The Glades to safety," Oliver announced.

Diggle spoke up, concerned with whatever Oliver was planning, "And just how are you planning on doing that?"

"By using the Queen name. I'll catch up with both of you tomorrow," Oliver said as he made his way out of the foundry.

"I'll study the schematics and see what I can find. Goodnight," Felicity said before she turned away from Oliver and back to her computers. Shortly after the doors closed, Felicity turned to Diggle and asked, "He's going to try to do this alone, isn't he?"

Diggle who pulled out a bottle of whiskey from the cupboard, poured 2 glasses, and handed a beaming Felicity hers, said, "Not if we can help it. Listen, I know this isn't what you signed up for, but I'm glad you're part of the team. I don't think we'd be able to make it this far, Felicity."

Felicity blushed and clinked her glass against Diggle's. "It might not have been what I imagined doing when I signed on, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm glad you let me be a part of the team. There may not be a lot to toast to at the moment, but here's one: To partnerships!" Diggle raised his glasses before taking another drink.

Diggle kept Felicity company as she studied the schematics. By 4 AM, Diggle urged Felicity to head home and get some rest. "You're not any good to Starling City if you're exhausted," Diggle reminded her. He made sure she got home safely by following her as she drove. Before entering her house, Felicity waved him goodbye and watched as Diggle drove off.

Her concerns over Killgrave were dwarfed by the impending threat of Malcolm's plan to level The Glades. "You'll get him in due time," she thought to herself before she drifted off to sleep.

To say that Oliver was restless was an understatement. He was constantly checking his phone to see if Felicity and Diggle got home safely last night. He was in one of the mansion's sitting room waiting for his Mother. He knew she was going to be here, as she always does every noon.

The door opened and his Mother hid her surprise at seeing him waiting for her. She walked over to him, "Oliver, were you waiting for me? Did you want to talk?"

Oliver held her gaze and gruffly stated, "Yes and I'm hoping there won't be any more lies, Mom. We need to stop The Undertaking."

"Do not talk to me like that, Oliver. Everything I have ever said or done has been to protect you and your sister," Moira defended.

"What about all those people in The Glades?" Oliver challenged. While he loves his Mother, he couldn't stomach the idea that hundreds or even thousands of people will die because of her refusal to help.

Moira sternly told him, "I'm not their mother."

Oliver realized he had to take a different approach if he needs to get his Mother to act, "I spoke to Malcolm."

Moira stood up and marched towards Oliver and grabbed his arms, "You what?! He could have killed you. He killed your Father."

Oliver shrugged away from his Mother's hold and revealed, "No, he didn't. After The Gambit went down, Dad and I both made it to the life raft. We drifted for days. In the end, we didn't have enough food and water for both of us, so he shot himself in the head."

"I don't want to hear this," Moira cried.

Oliver continued, "He sacrificed himself so that I could live and have a chance at making this city better. Do you really think that I could go on living knowing that you sacrificed thousands more in my name? Mom, please! You have to help me stop Malcolm. We need to know when The Undertaking is going to happen and give the people in The Glades a chance to get to safety."

His plea was interrupted by his Mother's ringing phone.

"Malcolm," she breathed out. Oliver kept eye contact with his Mother, urging her to continue with the phone call like it was regular business.

"How can I help you? I see. Yes, thank you for calling," Moira hung up. With shaking hands, she set her phone down the table and looked at Oliver. She was pale as a ghost.

Oliver noticed the change in her features and asked, "What is it?"

His Mother's voice shook as she explained, "Malcolm's accelerated his timetable. The Undertaking is happening tonight."

Upon hearing that, Oliver made a move to walk out of the room. He heard his Mother call out, "Oliver! Where you going?"

Before he left the room, he answered with a clipped voice, "Somebody in this family needs to put an end to this - whatever the cost."

On his way to The Foundry, his phone rang – "Tommy"

"Ollie! I have an update," Tommy exclaimed, sounding worried." Oliver could imagine his best friend pacing around the room in anxiety.

"Tommy, What is it?" Oliver asked.

"The Undertaking, it's going to happen tonight. My Dad told me to leave town immediately. My Dad gave me the keys to one of our houses just outside Starling. He said whatever will go down will happen later when people are asleep. What are we going to do?" Tommy explained.

Oliver exhaled and composed himself, "Thank you, Tommy. Listen, I need you to do something for me. When you go to that house, please take Thea and my Mother with you."

Tommy responded, "Of course, but what about you and your team?"

Oliver didn't want to lie to his friend but assured him, "We'll be fine." He could already hear his friend argue, "But-"

Oliver quickly interrupted, "No buts, Tommy. We're doing the best we can to stop this, and we need to make sure everyone is safe. We'll try to meet you once this is over."

Tommy huffs out, "Okay, but call me if there is anything else you need me to do."

Satisfied with his friend's acquiescence, "Will do. Thanks, Tommy."

When Oliver got to The Foundry, he saw Felicity and Diggle engaged in a deep discussion. He announced his presence with the news, "The Undertaking is happening tonight. My Mother and Tommy confirmed after Malcolm got in contact with both of them."

Diggle was the first to speak up, "Okay, that gives us time. Felicity verified using traffic and security feeds that the device is indeed where Malcolm's wife was murdered."

Felicity added, "We can take care of the device and try to stop it, but we need to ensure the people in The Glades get to safety. Should I send an anonymous tip to SCPD so they can start to evacuate residents?"

Both men nodded at her suggestion and watched as she got to work. Oliver announced, "I'll also give Lance a call as Green Arrow so he knows it's a legitimate threat and not sweep this under the rug."

"Done!" Felicity confirmed and she sent Lance's number to the "Green Arrow" phone. She and Diggle looked on as Oliver waited for Lance to pick up.

The Detective crustily answered, "Hello?"

"Hello Detective," Oliver replied.

Annoyance was evident in Lance's voice, "What do you want?"

"Malcolm Merlyn plans to level The Glades with a manmade earthquake using technology from Unidac Industries," Oliver relayed.

"What? Now you're just trying to have some fun with me," Lance bit back.

"This thing called The Undertaking is going to happen tonight, so you need to evacuate The Glades immediately. Get as many people to safety as you can. Whatever you think of me, Detective, please believe this."

They hear a pause and muffled voices on the other line before Lance spoke again, "Looks like we just received an anonymous tip referring to the same thing. Let's say we do evacuate The Glades, what happens next? Just how do you plan to stop this device?"

"I'm already working on it," Oliver affirmed.

They hear Lance chuckled humorlessly, "So what, I just expect you to deal with this device and everything will be dandy?"

Oliver, who was already getting impatient at the Detective's responses, "You do your part, and I'll do mine, Detective. You're on a tight schedule."

After hanging up with Lance, Oliver was about to continue planning with Diggle and Felicity when his phone rang – it was Thea.

"Speedy, now is not a good time," Oliver tried to say without snapping.

Thea continued, "Yeah, understate much? Tommy's here asking me to go with him and then Mom has a whole bunch of reporters. She's holding a press conference or something. Did you know anything about this?"

Upon hearing his sister's response, he advised her, "Speedy, listen to me. You have to go with Tommy, okay? What channel is the press conference on?"

At Oliver's question, Felicity pulled up the local news just when Oliver heard Thea reply, "Ah, it looks like all of them. Ollie, is everything okay?"

"Thea, I'll call you back. Make sure you stay with Tommy."

After hanging up the phone, the trio watched as Moira began her press conference.

"My name is Moira Dearden Queen. I am the acting CEO of Queen Consolidated. And God forgive me, I have failed the city. For the past 5 years, under the threat for my life and the lives of my family, I have been complicit in an undertaking with one horrible purpose- to destroy The Glades and everyone in it. I realize now that my family's safety will mean nothing if I let this dreadful act occur. But you need to know that the architect of this nightmare is Malcolm Merlyn. Yes, and I have proof that he has killed dozens in pursuit of this madness. Adam Hunt, Frank Chen, and my husband Robert."

Oliver felt Felicity hold his hand. He gripped their hands tighter as he listened to his Mother continue her press conference amid the noises from the media representatives present at the mansion.

"Please. If you reside in the Glades, you need to get out now. Your lives and the lives of your children depend on it. Please."

Back at the mansion, a confused Thea was being held by Tommy who looked devastated to hear more about his Father's deeds. When Moira stood before them, Thea regarded her Mother, "Mom? I don't understand."

Moira kissed her daughter's forehead and sobbed, "Sweetheart-Thea! I'm sorry. I love you. Tommy, please make sure you both and Oliver get to safety."

Tommy nodded and continued to hold on to Thea when a police officer approached them and started cuffing Moira.

Thea desperately tried to get away from Tommy's hold to no avail and cried, "Mom! Where are you taking her? She's not the mastermind. It was Malcolm Merlyn! Mom!"

The police officer read Moira's rights and led her away from Thea and Tommy, "Moira Queen, you're under arrest for conspiracy. Anything you say, can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney…"

Thea who was openly crying was pulled away from the commotion by Tommy, "Thea!"

She buried her face in his chest and wailed, "Tommy! They're arresting Mom. She didn't have a choice, Tommy!"

Tommy's heart broke for the younger woman who was like a younger sister to him. He felt more anger towards his Father for ruining so many lives in pursuit of something his own Mother would never want. He coaxed Thea to come with him to avoid the possible destruction, "I know, Speedy. I'm so sorry. But you need to come with me now. I already talked to Ollie. We need to get to safety."

Thea hiccupped, "But what about Mom?"

Tommy could only try to comfort her, "We'll figure that out, I promise. She'll be safe. But right now, I need you to come with me."

Finally, Thea relented, "Okay."

Tommy led them to his car, "Come on, let's go." He thought, "Ollie, I hope whatever you and your team planned works."

In The Foundry, Oliver received a text from Tommy letting him know that Moira was arrested but he and Thea are already on their way to their meeting spot. He noticed he was still holding on to Felicity's hand. He didn't let go. She heard him say, "Oliver, I'm sorry," as she rubbed his shoulder.

"Don't be. At least she admitted to her sins and gave those people a chance," he whispered.

He reluctantly let go and walked towards one of the chests and grabbed a bow.

"I thought Malcolm broke your bow," Diggle commented.

"I have another," Oliver answered.

Felicity informed both men, "I was going over the device schematics. The device can be set for a timed detonation or can be remote activated by a mobile transmitter, which something Malcolm might have on him."

"Listen, Oliver, if we can just get our hands on this transmitter, maybe we don't need to be on the subway," Diggle proposed.

Oliver shook his head and said, "It's too big of an "if," Diggle. I need you in the subway. Find the device, disarm it."

Diggle, who already knew what Oliver was planning, called him out on it, "So you can take on Malcolm by yourself?"

"I have to," Oliver challenged.

Diggle pointed out, "He'll kill you, Oliver."

"I know. He's beaten me twice. And I don't know how to stop him," Oliver admitted.

Diggle and Felicity shared a look, not liking the resignation in Oliver's voice.

Diggle spoke again, "Okay. How about this time, you bring along something you didn't have the last time you two fought… Me. I can't let you do this by yourself, man. Oliver, you are not alone, not since you brought me into this." He looked at Felicity and corrected himself, "Us into this. Besides, army regulations- a soldier never lets a brother go into battle alone."

That seemed to have gotten through Oliver who retorted, "I'm out of bows."

"I got my gun," Diggle remarked.

Felicity rubbed her hands together and declared, "Well, I guess it's up to me to do the dismantling in the subway."

Oliver's head whipped to Felicity, he marched over to her, and growled, "This whole area is ground zero. I want you out of here. You might be strong but an earthquake isn't something that you can walk away from unscathed."

Felicity squared her shoulders and told Oliver, "If you're not leaving, I'm not leaving. Do I need to remind you that you are not the boss of me, Oliver? Besides, if I don't deactivate the device, who will?"

Oliver didn't want Felicity to be anywhere near the device. If he had his way, he would have sent her away with Tommy and Thea, but the woman was strong, passionate, and just as stubborn as he is. An idea hit him and he made a move to grab his phone, "I'll call Lance. He can do it. You can talk him through it."

Felicity grabbed the phone from his hand and rejected his idea, "No. SCPD should focus all of their efforts in evacuating the people and ensuring the safety of the residents. They need all hands on deck. Between the 3 of us, we can do this."

"Of course, she'll have a valid argument," he thought. "Fine. But you stay on the comms at all times and as soon as you disable the device, you either meet with us or head directly to Tommy and Thea," Oliver instructed after he agreed with her.

As both men geared up, Felicity felt uneasy. She wasn't lying when she said they can deal with Malcolm and the device with just the 3 of them. But there are some variables and unknowns – and that worried her. She zipped up her black leather jacket and slung her messenger bag across her body. When both men came back a few minutes later, she shook off her thoughts and forced a confident smile at them. "Malcolm is at his penthouse on Callahan. Check in once you're there. I'll head over to the subway. Be careful. Come back in one piece, both of you. Let's thwart this super-villain."

Before they parted ways, Oliver whispered, "Let me know once you get there. If something goes wrong, you evacuate. No buts. Get to safety. Be careful and we'll meet up later, okay?"

She nodded as they went on their separate ways. Felicity checked her tablet and saw that people are already being evacuated. "Good," she thought. Not wanting to waste any more time, Felicity decided to fly and within minutes was on site. She landed in an alley to make sure no one saw her. She noted the police evacuation several blocks away from the subway and told herself she can't mess it up. Felicity discreetly made her move underground and spoke, "I'm here. Green Arrow, Spartan. Where are you?"

She heard Oliver respond, "We're 2 minutes out, Knightress. Be careful."

With that she took out her tablet and double checked the schematics before getting to work. Felicity pulled out the circuit board and saw the timer. She could hear fighting on the comms and jumped when she heard Diggle rumble in pain.

She asked, "Spartan, are you okay?"

"I'm fine – how's it going on your end?" Diggle gasped, clearly in pain.

"I'm disabling the device. We have 7 minutes. The good news is, I can do this in 3. Just hang on tight, okay?" Felicity assured.

She overheard Malcolm yell at Oliver, "So tell me- are you ready to die?"

Felicity pushed down the worry and got to work. She saw 3 wires and cut the blue one. "All right, I got it, I got it," She exclaimed over the comms while pumping her fist in the air. She heard John sigh in relief. Her glee was short-lived when the device started beeping. "Oh, my God. No, no, no, no, no! There must be some sort of anti-tamper safeguard."

"What's happening, Knightress? Get out of there," She heard Diggle yell out.

She didn't want to distract Oliver who was still fighting with Malcolm and tried her best to assure both men who could hear her, "No, no. It's fine. I just need to override something."

Felicity grabbed her tablet again and tried to override the device. With a final push of button on the device itself, the beeping and the timer both stopped. The device had shut down. She waited a few more beats and called out over the comms, "It's done. It's over. I've deactivated the device. I'm coming to both of you."

Diggle informed her that he was making his way on the rooftop to back Oliver up. They both heard Malcolm taunt Oliver, "Don't struggle. It's over. There was never any doubt in the outcome. Don't worry. Your mother and sister will be joining you in death."

Upon hearing Malcolm, Felicity jogged out of the subway, intent on helping both men take down Malcolm. When she reached the street level she heard Oliver and Merlyn both gasp in pain. She looked around and went back to the alley to fly over to Malcolm's penthouse.

She heard Oliver grunt, "Thank you for teaching me what I'm fighting for. But my father taught me how."

Felicity was already airborne just by the east side when she heard Malcolm laugh manically, "If I've learned anything as a successful businessman, it's redundancy."

All 3 of them came to the same horrific conclusion, but it was Oliver who spoke, "There's another device. There are 2 of them!"

Felicity looked down and can see signs that the ground was shaking. People were already panicking. She dropped down behind the building and checked her tablet for the closest underground passageway. The shaking is not as bad but it was getting stronger.

"Oh God," she whispered as she looked for the nearest subway tunnel and ran past the hysterical residents. She was running to the direction they were trying to escape. The subway was closed off during the evacuation so Felicity yanked the metal door open, no longer caring about being discreet. The tremors were definitely getting stronger.

"What the hell's happening?!" It was Diggle who shook her from her thoughts.

"I'm on the east side, just past Wells Street. The device just went off but I'm here. I'll try to disable it and stop it from doing more damage," Felicity yelled as she saw the device already lit up.

Oliver's desperate roar over the comms almost distracted her, "No! Knightress! Knightress! Felicity!"

She heard Diggle call out to her, "Felicity! Get the hell out of there."

"No I can do this, just stop distracting me. I'll meet you at Tommy's," Felicity dismissed them as she attempted to stop Merlyn's device.

Realizing that the device cannot be stopped, she cursed, "Shit! It's locked already!"

Both men screamed over the comms, "Get the hell out of there!"

Felicity shook her head, "No! I have to try."

Oliver once again yelled, despite the pain shooting from his chest, "Felicity, for the love of God, get the hell out of there!"

There's no other way to stop the device, so Felicity repeatedly landed full strength punches at the controls. Seeing the machine start to fail, she ran back and darted straight towards the device to smash it with her body. She still felt the tremors.

She heard Oliver scream, "What the fuck is happening, Felicity?!"

Felicity could feel the blood seeping through her hands from the punches she landed. "Just shut up right now," she yelled back as she muted her comm. She didn't want them to hear her grunts and cries of pain from hitting the metal. Felicity lifted the device and threw her body into it. She heard the erratic beeping from the device and once again threw her shoulder and head first at the device. Wobbling, she stood up and moved to tear pieces of metal from the device. She alternated between punching and throwing her body at the earthquake machine. There was a loud screeching noise and then the quakes finally stopped. She realized that she succeeded in breaking the device.

Felicity heard yelling over the comms and Oliver ordering Digg to get them both to her location as fast as he could. With bloody hands, Felicity unmuted her comms and gasped, "It's over. The device is no longer active." She felt pain all over her body. She leaned on the deactivated machine and felt blood from wounds. She tried to sort herself out and fight off the throbbing while assuring both men, "Go meet me at Tommy's. There's nothing else we can do here right now."

Felicity barely paid attention to Oliver when he spoke, "No, I'm… we're coming to get you and we're going to Tommy's together."

She didn't have the energy to argue and chuckled until she felt pain on her ribs. Felicity wiped the blood from the gash on her forehead and looked at her bloodied hands. She remembered the last time her hands were bloodied.

"Jessica! Get back here!"

"Birch Street, Higgins Drive, Cobalt Lane," Felicity whispered as she waited for Oliver and Diggle.

Somewhere on the other side of town, Malcolm Merlyn was slumped against the wall after his fight with Oliver. Before losing consciousness on the rooftop, he remembered laughing at Oliver when he revealed there was another device. Malcolm pulled out his phone to check on the other device and saw that the device had malfunctioned halfway through the transmission. The smile on his face was replaced by confusion and rage. "No! What happened?!"

Malcolm put pressure on his chest wound as he got up, then he heard a voice out of nowhere. "Stop. Don't talk or move."

Malcolm was shocked when he couldn't move. It felt like his body was compelled to not move. He heard footsteps get closer until a man in a dark suit approached him.

"Well, this is a nice coincidence. I guess I have a gift of running into interesting people," the man remarked.

Malcolm couldn't see the other man's face and he still couldn't move.

"Your little stunt ruined my plans, Mr. Merlyn," whispered as the man leaned in closer to his ear.

"It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is," the man paused before yelling into his ear, "I was THIS close to getting Jessica back, but your little earthquake stunt ruined everything. You cost me time and resources."

The man took a step back and instructed Malcolm, "Here's what you're going to do – you're going to go home, write a suicide note admitting your guilt over this earthquake nonsense, and then you will slit your own throat."

Malcolm's eyes widened. He felt the man mockingly pat his forehead and then heard him say, "Go."

Back in the subway, Felicity felt a warm hand on her cheek and her name being called. She opened her eyes to see the worried faces of Oliver and Diggle.

"Hey, what happened?" Oliver asked.

Felicity groaned and leaned into Oliver's hand that was holding her cheek and jaw. She did a quick scan of both men before answering, "I beat the shit out of the second device until it died. As it turns out, metal vs human flesh can be a bit dodgy. What happened to both of you? Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to see you both but you look a little worse for wear."

She noticed both men were wearing shirts instead of their leather hoods, they still had their leather pants and boots on. Very smart to at least change out of their hoods before anyone could have seen them.

"We'll be fine," Diggle assured her as he helped her get on her feet and asked, "Can you walk?"

Felicity nodded. Before walking out, she asked, "Merlyn?"

"Taken care of – we left his body on the rooftop," Oliver replied.

As they walked out, they saw some broken windows and litter. The streets were mostly empty, which was a good sign that the police were able to evacuate the people in time. They could hear the faint sounds of police sirens and people seeking refuge for the night.

"I have some medical supplies in the car, Oliver should be able to clean that head wound on our way to Tommy's, then I'll have a look at both of your injuries," Diggle commented as they all got inside the car and drove off to meet with Tommy and Thea.

The trio arrived at Tommy's house just outside of Starling City 45 minutes later. Tommy met them by the door, clearly concerned at their current state.

"I'm glad you guys made it. Thea's upstairs – basically cried herself to sleep," Tommy said.

"Thanks, Tommy," Oliver muttered.

"There are 3 more guest rooms. What do you guys need?" Tommy asked as he closed the door behind him.

Diggle answered, "I have some medical supplies with me, but if you have any first aid supplies in here, that would be helpful in case we need them."

Felicity insisted that she felt fine and that Oliver and Diggle required immediate medical attention. She gave them a hard stare and told both men that she will refuse to be taken care of unless they have been patched up first. Diggle agreed, pulled an annoyed Oliver with him, and convinced Felicity that she should rest and avoid sleeping until he gets a chance to examine her.

Felicity decided to follow Tommy who had taken out a first aid kit from a cupboard and had his palms against the counter. She asked, "Hey, how are you?"

Tommy smiled at her, grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, and handed it to her before answering, "Physically, fine though I wish the same can be said for you guys. Other than that, I feel angry, devastated, ashamed, and scared."

Felicity whispered a quick thanks to Tommy and took a sip of water before speaking, "We'll be fine. I'm glad you and Thea made it to safety. Is your girlfriend, okay?"

"Yeah, she's fine and in Coast City visiting her Mother. I was actually speaking to her before you guys got here. She was checking up on me after seeing the news. At the time, there were no reported casualties, well other than my Dad, but there are people who are critically injured."

Felicity was silent, "I hope it stays that way. The second device went off shortly after the original one was deactivated."

Tommy looked up at Felicity with wide eyes, "There was a second device?!"

"Yup, unfortunately, your Father had contingency plans. But the device was deactivated before it could cause any more damage," Felicity assured him.

She can see the wheels spinning in Tommy's head. He pointed to her and asked, "Is that how you…"

Felicity answered, "Yeah, had to apply a bit of brute force to stop the damn thing."

Tommy breathed out, "I'm not even going to ask how."

Felicity just remarked, "Maybe a story for another time." She paused before adding, "I'm sorry about your Father."

"No need to be. You once said that there may be casualties in a war. He started one and he ended up a casualty. As much as it saddens me that he's dead, I couldn't help but feel relieved that he can't hurt anyone anymore. What does that make me? I wished I knew before all of this went to hell and that no one else had to die from his deeds," Tommy explained.

"I can't imagine how conflicted you are feeling, but don't ever forget that you are a good egg, Thomas Merlyn. You may share the same last name and DNA, but you are a better person than him. None of this is on you. There's no way you could've known what he was planning. He made sure of that. And when you realized the truth, remember you came to us and put your differences with Oliver behind you. You might not see it, but you helped, Tommy," Felicity said as she made Tommy look at her, hoping she got through the man.

Tommy smiled and hesitated to give Felicity a hug due to her injuries, but went with it. "Thanks, Felicity. If I ever need a pep talk, I'll come looking for you."

Felicity was glad Tommy felt less bad and quipped, "Just don't expect me to show up in a full cheerleading costume."

"Now that's a vision," Tommy chuckled. He was going to be okay, he thought.

Felicity grinned, "As much as I enjoyed our chat, I believe John needed the first aid kit?"

"Alright. I don't want the big man to come after me," Tommy joked. Before leaving, he called out, "Hey Felicity, thank you."

She smiled and watched him walk away. Felicity went inside one of the guest rooms and pulled out her phone. She saw several missed calls and texts from Trish. Wanting to give her best friend proof that she is still alive, Felicity hit the call button. "Hello? Trish?"

Trish loudly sighed in relief, "Oh Thank God! Jess! I'm glad you finally called. I saw the news. Are you okay?"

Felicity bit her lip before answering, "Yeah, I was away from the damage."

"Don't lie. I know you tried to help," Trish challenged.

"Fine - I walked away from the damage. It wasn't that bad," Felicity responded.

Trish wanted assurance, "But are you okay?"

Felicity revealed, "Yeah, just some bruises and bumps."

Trish seemed to have accepted her answer, "Well, I'm glad you're okay and proud as usual. They haven't reported any casualties."

"Thanks, Trish. Uh, listen. I need you to be careful, okay?" Felicity whispered.

"Of course. Should I be worried about something?" Trish asked, confused.

"This is it. There's no point in not telling the truth if you want her safe," Felicity thought. "He's back," Felicity said.

"Who is?" Trish asked.

"Killgrave" A silence fell between the two women.

Surprised, Trish probed, "What? Are you sure? I thought you said he was dead."

Felicity shook her head and confirmed, "I thought so too, but apparently that's not the case."

Felicity knew the moment her friend wanted to be in on the action when Trish suggested, "How can I help? I can take the first flight-"

Felicity rejected the idea, "Definitely not. You can help by staying in the East Coast and keeping yourself safe."

"Jess, I'm not going to let you do this alone," Trish commented.

A soft knock interrupted her thoughts and she saw Diggle quietly come in after she gestured for him over. Felicity signaled for him to give her a minute to finish her phone call. She stepped out to the balcony. "I'm not going to do this alone. Look, I can't focus on dealing with Killgrave if I have to worry about you. The farther you are from me, the safer you will be. Please, Trish," Felicity pleaded with her best friend.

Trish sighed, "Fine, but you will keep me updated with everything – if he makes contact, if you find something, or if you make a move. You also need to tell me who will be helping you."

"I will. Hey, I have to go. I'll talk to you again soon. Be careful," Felicity said, glad that Trish agreed to stay away from Starling.

They bid each other goodbye and made the other promise to be careful before hanging up. Felicity returned to the room and saw Diggle laying out the medical supplies.

Diggle saw the concerned look on her face and before she could ask, he quelled her worries, "I just finished patching up Oliver. I told him to stay in his room until I finish checking up on you. Is everything okay? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine," she responded. Diggle didn't buy it, so she just continued, "My friend called to check up on me after she saw the news. What about you?"

"I'm fine. Oliver stitched me up. The stab wound isn't as deep as we first thought it was. Are you feeling better?" Diggle responded.

Felicity assured him, "The dizziness is mostly gone. Although I might have done a bit more damage with my ribs. But healing quickly helps too. I should be fine in the next few days."

Diggle cleaned her wounds, some of which she didn't even notice until Diggle started cleaning them. He also stitched the gash on her forehead and wrapped her ribs in gauze. Diggle handed her a pill and said, "Here take this."

"What's this?" Felicity asked. It didn't look like an aspirin.

"Something to help with the pain. You might be able to heal quicker than most of us, but it doesn't mean it's going to be comfortable and pain-free," Diggle clarified.

"I'm fi-" Felicity didn't even finish the word when Diggle gave her a death glare and crossed his massive arms. Point made.

"Okay. I'll take it later before I go to bed. How's that?" Felicity offered.

"That's all I ask," Diggle smiled as he cleaned up the mess from patching up Felicity.

Felicity asked, "So, is Carly okay?"

Diggle replied, "Yeah, she and AJ were in Ivy Town for the weekend. I just sent her a text to tell her to stay there for a week or two more. She asked if I'm alright and I told her I'm fine."

Felicity quirked an eyebrow and questioned, "AJ?"

"AJ is her son, my nephew. I didn't realize I never mentioned him to you before," Diggle guiltily explained as he sat down in front of her.

Felicity waved him off, "It's okay. We had a lot on our plate. How old is he?"

"He's 6 years old. Did you want to see a picture?" Diggle took out a couple of photos from his wallet.

Felicity beamed, "Duh, did you have to ask?"

"That's him now," Diggle said proudly.

Felicity took the photo and couldn't help herself, "Aww. He's so cute. I can definitely see the Diggle gene running. Those cheeks and eyes!"

Diggle handed her another photo, "This is him with his parents when he was 1."

Felicity gasped.

Diggle continued and named the other people in the photo, "That's my younger brother, Andy, and Carly."

Felicity felt her throat close up and heard a ringing in her ears. She wanted to make sure, "This. This is your brother?"

Diggle confirmed, "Yeah, before the mess with Lawton."

"John?" Felicity's voiced trembled and Diggle looked up in alarm.

"What? Are you okay?" He asked and checked her for injuries that may be causing her sudden distress. He was more worried when she shook her head and whispered "No."

Diggle was still inspecting her for injuries but couldn't find any that he may have missed, "Felicity, tell me what's wrong. Does something hurt?"

Felicity's eyes pooled with tears and her voice quivered as she spoke, "I'm so sorry. You're going to hate me. I'm so sorry, Dig."

Diggle was confused. "What are you talking about? Why are you apologizing?"

Tears streamed down her face but she was determined to not keep anything from Diggle. She owed him that much, "Remember when I told you about Killgrave?"

Felicity's distress is scaring Diggle. "Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?" A thought came over him, "Did you see him tonight? Did he hurt you?"

Felicity repeatedly shook her head and sobbed, "No. No. Remember the man I told you about? The man that I punched? Killgrave ordered it but I did it. It's Andy. I'm so sorry. I didn't know until now. I'm so sorry for killing Andy."

Diggle was shocked and moved a bit away from Felicity, who had broken down in front him.

Felicity continued, "I'm so sorry. I know I don't deserve it and there's not a day that goes by that I don't think about him. I didn't mean to – you have to believe me. Killgrave told me to do it."

Diggle put his hands on her shoulders to calm her down, "Felicity, my brother isn't dead."

"No, he is. I was there. I made it happen with a full-strength punch. I killed him. I confirmed it. I memorized the autopsy report. No one ever identified him nor did they match him with a missing person. But I know, and I'm so sorry. I didn't even know his name until now," Felicity cried.

"Shhhhh. Felicity, calm down. Andy isn't dead," Diggle tried to get Felicity to look at him.

Felicity didn't know how to react, "I just told you! How are you calm?"

Diggle explained, "Because I know he is alive. I filed a missing person's report; no matches were ever made to any unidentified body. Even if they didn't associate it to the report, they would've been able to match the remains against his Army records. He's still listed as missing. I know Andy's alive."

Felicity hiccupped, "I'm sorry, but it was him. I know the face of that man."

Diggle eyed her but didn't let go, "Are you sure?"

Felicity nodded.

"Then he must have lived. I was never contacted. One of my buddies from the FBI even confirmed it recently when I asked for a status update," Diggle stated.

Felicity sniffed, "Hold on" and extricated herself from Diggle's grasp. She grabbed her bag and took her tablet. "I'm looking at the autopsy results. Here." She passed the tablet to Diggle. "I can test your DNA against this."

Diggle looked at her before skimming through the report. After a couple of minutes, he looked up at Felicity and returned the tablet. "No need. It's not Andy. The blood type is different. This also said the deceased had type 1 diabetes. He didn't have diabetes at all."

"You mean, it's not Andy?" Felicity asked.

Diggle's heart broke for the younger woman and confirmed, "It's not Andy."

Felicity's eyes watered again, "But I punched him. I may not have known his name but I committed his face to my memory."

Diggle realized this was something she burdened herself with for a long time and told her, "Then, he lived."

Felicity apologized, "I'm so sorry, John. I never meant to do it."

Diggle hugged her and whispered in her ear, "Stop apologizing. You forget that I've seen what Killgrave can do. I'm sure that was nowhere even near what he can do. There was nothing that you could've done to stop it. It wasn't your fault. That wasn't on you. What's important is you're here and Andy's alive somewhere." He felt her nod against his chest.

Felicity vowed, "I'll help you find him. I promise to do everything I can to bring him back to you."

Diggle placed a kiss on top of her head, "Thank you. You wouldn't be you if you didn't help."

Felicity was struck with a thought and pulled away from Diggle, "Oh my God. I wasn't going nuts."

Baffled, Diggle asked, "What do you mean?"

Felicity mumbled, "Your brother IS alive."

Diggle, still perplexed, replied, "Yes, I think I've done a good job of explaining it."

Felicity stared back at him, "No, no. Now it makes sense. I wasn't seeing things. Your brother – he was or is still in Starling."

"What?" Diggle wondered.

Felicity clarified, "I thought I was imagining him haunting me. I've run into or seen him several times now. I mean, it didn't occur to me that it was a possibility that he lived even when Killgrave returned, but now we know he's alive, it's very likely he's in Starling."

Diggle tensed up, "So he's coming after you?"

Felicity put her hand on his arm, "Relax. I know he's not going to hurt me. Whether or not he's under Killgrave's control is yet to be determined. Although it seems unlikely since Killgrave already made contact. If he is, Killgrave must just be messing with me."

Diggle probed further, "Why didn't you tell me or Oliver that you're being followed?"

Felicity confessed, "Because I didn't think he was real! Each time I look again he's gone. I chalked it up to trauma or some shit. I swear, I'll get to the bottom of this and help you get your brother back safely."

"Thank you. If this happens again, you tell us and won't do anything by yourself," Diggle strictly told her.

Felicity nodded, "I won't."

Diggle hugs Felicity again and heard her apologize again.

"Stop apologizing. Go rest. I'll check up on Oliver and get some shuteye. I'm sure we'll have to talk in the morning," Diggle said as he pointed towards the bed.

"Thanks, Dig," Felicity murmured before taking the pill Diggle gave her.

Diggle left Felicity's room and went to the kitchen where he found Oliver sitting by the counter.

"Is she okay?" Oliver asked

"Yeah, stitched her up and her ribs are bruised. I gave her oxycodone for the pain. She practically beat herself with an earthquake machine. Super powers or not, she'll be in a hell of a lot of pain. I'd rather she be at least comfortable for most of her recovery," Diggle reassured the younger man of Felicity's condition.

Oliver nodded and told Diggle, "You should rest too. I'm just going to-" He gestured to the second floor of the house.

Diggle understood what Oliver was trying to say, "She's asleep but if it'll help you. Go see for yourself."

Oliver made his way to Felicity's room and knocked. When he didn't get a response, he let himself in and found her asleep with only the moonlight illuminating her. He breathed out in relief. Oliver didn't know what was happening but he felt the need to ensure she was safe. He sat on the couch, intent on just making sure he was okay, but the exhaustion from the past few days weighed heavily on him.

Oliver stirred and his eyes shot open when he felt something covering him. He was ready to attack when Felicity stepped back, arms in front of her, and he realized she was just trying to put a blanket on him.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," Felicity apologized as she covered him with a blanket.

Oliver shook the sleepiness off and said, "Don't apologize. How are you feeling?"

"I'm doing better," Felicity replied and asked, "How are you? And don't say fine. It's okay if you're not."

Oliver gently pulled her down next to him on the couch "I'll be fine. Things could've gotten worse. I still have you, Dig, Tommy, and Thea."

She wrapped her hand around his shoulder. "We'll help you get through this and figure out how to deal with the aftermath. I was thinking of checking on the damage, injuries, and possible casualties. She whispered the last part. "I'm sorry."

Oliver tilted his head, "For what?"

"For not knowing about a second device soon enough," Felicity mentioned.

Oliver took her other hand in his. Their closeness didn't go unnoticed, but it was something they both needed. "It's not your fault. If someone should be sorry, it should be me-"

Felicity squeezed his hand, "No, none of that. If you don't think Diggle or I deserve culpability for this mess, neither should you. It's Malcolm's fault. The man has a warped sense of reality and is hell-bent on destroying The Glades. I just wish we stopped both devices before they were activated."

Oliver looked at her and said, "Okay. I think I'll never not be thankful for having you… and Dig."

Felicity smiled, "I'm just as thankful that you let me be a part of your mission."

When Oliver moved, Felicity saw him wince. She let go of his hand and asked, "Did you just wince?"

"Yeah," he admitted.

"Take off your shirt," Felicity demanded. This statement would usually make Felicity blush, but her concern outweighed her embarrassment. When Oliver hesitated, she gave him a sample of her loud voice, "Now."

Oliver took his shirt off and Felicity gasped when she saw the bandage over the spot where he stabbed himself in the chest. There were some specks of blood on the bandage.

Felicity's hand hovered over the bandage, her eyes zeroed in on the bandage, and she asked, "What the hell happened?"

Oliver stared at Felicity's face and recounted, "Diggle was down. Merlyn got me on a chokehold and was about to snap my neck. There was a stray arrow on the ground, so my only option was to…"

Felicity finished "Stab him with an arrow through your own chest. God, did you puncture a lung?"

Oliver cupped her jaw, his thumb ghosting over a bruise on her cheek. He assured her, "Hey, hey. I'm fine. Diggle already checked and patched me up. I'm alright. I promise."

Felicity traced a finger over the bandage and looked up to him, "I understand that it was a life-and-death situation, but always find a way to come home alive."

Oliver nodded and without wasting a second, he moved closer and hugged her. He heard Felicity gasp and return the hug. Oliver moved his cheek closer to the side of Felicity's head.

Oliver whispered in her ear, "When Malcolm revealed there was another device, I panicked. But when you said you were going to stop the device when it already was active, I was terrified. Dig drove like a mad man while we both listened to the comms. I heard the sounds of something hitting metal and you crying out. I didn't know what to think. Neither of us had a clue as to what we were going to see when we get to your location. I'm glad you were okay, but don't do that again." He felt Felicity nod against his shoulder.

Felicity was glad Oliver spoke about some of the things that went through his head. She was grateful for the trust he placed on her.

In that moment, they knew their relationship was shifting. This was a conversation for another day. Tonight, they will just take comfort in feeling each other's warmth and beating heart. Tomorrow was going to be filled with questions to be answered, problems to be addressed, explanations to be given, and mysteries to be uncovered.


	12. Doing the Right Thing

_Hi everyone. First of all, I apologize for the delay in my update. I went on holiday, got really busy with work, and truth be told caught a case of writer's block. I already have things planned for this chapter and even have some dialog and plot written out, my head just kept bouncing to other plot points and ideas. So yes, this took a ridiculous time to update._

 _This chapter begins right where the previous one left off - The Undertaking and the team and the immediate moments after it._

 _Thanks again for the support. Your feedback, faves, follows, etc. are all appreciated! I don't own anything and this isn't beta'd._

 _Hope you enjoy this update!_

 **Doing the Right Thing**

Oliver woke up with a face full of blonde hair in his face. After blinking the last remnants of sleep away, he remembered he and Felicity fell asleep on the couch and that he carried her to the bed. Oliver didn't intend to sleep on the same bed, but when Felicity snuggled against him, he couldn't find it in himself to move. He shifted and glanced at the clock to find that it was almost 9 AM - clearly surprised that he was able to sleep through several hours without waking.

Oliver decided it was time to get up and face the aftermath of The Undertaking. He attempted to maneuver himself out of Felicity's arms. When he rolled his arm out of her grasp, he was able to get a better view of her face and arms. He saw the bruises on her skin and immediately felt guilty. His finger ghosted over a bruise on her cheek as he whispered an apology.

After taking a much-needed shower, Oliver headed to the kitchen to grab a quick breakfast. However, he was instantly met by the sound of Thea talking to Tommy and the smell of bacon and eggs. "Perfect timing," he thought. When he turned the corner, he saw Diggle seated at the table observing Thea and Tommy.

"How do you like your eggs, Ollie?" an aproned Tommy asked as he placed a stack of pancakes and bacon on the table.

"Uh, scrambled. Not that I'm not grateful but what's with all this?" Oliver pointed to the breakfast foods on the table.

"Well, I figured we might as well reality with a full stomach," Tommy answered nonchalantly.

"Ollie!" Thea walked up to him. "I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to check up on you last night," she apologized.

"Hey, Speedy. Don't worry. I'm fine. You had a lot on your mind and Tommy filled me in." he assured his sister.

"Tommy told me Felicity is here too and that she was hurt. Where is she?" Thea asked, looking at Oliver expectantly.

Oliver answered, "Relax, Thea. Felicity's fine. We got her patched up last night. She's still sleeping. Let's leave her to rest so she can recover, okay?"

Thea nodded before all of them heard, "Who needs to recover?" Felicity's voice filled the room and all occupants turned to look at her. Wary of the attention suddenly on her, Felicity slowly walked towards the group. "Hey guys," she greeted.

As much as Oliver was pleased to see Felicity up and about, he preferred that she rested.

"Oh my God, Felicity! Ollie, I thought she was alright?" Thea shrieked as she came up to Felicity.

"I'm fine, Thea. It looks worse than it feels, I promise. I might need your help with concealing all of these," Felicity assured Thea who still eyed her bruises.

Oliver looked on as Felicity quietly asked Thea if she was okay. Her concern towards others never ceases to amaze him. His thoughts were interrupted when Tommy set a plate of scrambled eggs in front of him and made his way over to Felicity.

"Good morning, Ms. Felicity. How would you look your eggs this morning?" Tommy asked as he slung an arm over Felicity's shoulder. Felicity bristling when Tommy's arm made contact on her sore shoulder almost went unnoticed, but Oliver saw it and made a mental note to check on her later.

"Unfertilized. Thanks for asking, Thomas," Felicity coolly replied, which caused Tommy and Thea to guffaw, Oliver to messily choke on his coffee, and Diggle to wipe off drops of Oliver's coffee that landed on his arm.

Felicity snorted at Oliver's muttered apology to Diggle and turned to Tommy who was still laughing and sweetly told him, "Scrambled, please."

After having breakfast, everyone moved to the living room and turned on the news: "We are here live at Mayor Ben Langley's press conference," the anchor introduced as the camera panned to the Starling City Mayor who was standing at a podium with the District Attorney and SCPD Commissioner by his side.

"Last night a terrorist attack was inflicted on The Glades and its residents. Evacuation efforts began earlier that night at the admission of Moira Queen and an anonymous tip. Though no casualties have been reported at this time, there are 136 people who have been hospitalized with injuries ranging from minor to life-threatening. There is also severe damage in the east side of The Glades. Emergency and relief efforts have begun. We encourage everyone to remain calm and try to help out in any way you can. Information on how you can help out will be provided to all our local news networks."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the news that there are no casualties reported at the time. They tuned in again as the Mayor continued, "During the early hours of the morning, we retrieved and positively identified Malcolm Merlyn's body from his home. The coroner's office is expected to begin the autopsy tomorrow. No further details will be provided at this time."

The chattering of the reporters from the press conference filled the room. Upon the announcement of his Father's fate, everyone turned to Tommy who stood up and was about to walk out.

"Tommy," Oliver called out.

"I'm fine. I just, uh, I just need a moment. I'll be back," Tommy whispered as he left the living room.

Felicity and Diggle eyed Oliver who gave them a look which conveyed that they need to talk after the press conference.

The Mayor spoke again, "Lastly, as you may have heard, Moira Queen was arrested after her press conference last night. She has been cooperative throughout our questioning. The District Attorney has confirmed plans to pursue charges of Conspiracy to Commit Act of Terrorism against Mrs. Queen. The District Attorney's office will provide more details when available. That is all for now, thank you."

Thea's cries drowned the sounds of the press erupting with questions. "No! This isn't right. Ollie, we have to do something," Thea started crying as Felicity rubbed the younger woman's back to offer some comfort.

"I know, Thea. I'm going to call our lawyers and see how to fight this. We'll figure this out," Oliver reassured his sister.

"Tell me how I can help," Thea hiccupped.

"Go get ready, we'll leave in a couple of hours. Also, go and check in with Walter and Raisa," Oliver instructed Thea who nodded and went to her room.

Once the trio were alone, Diggle spoke up, "We left Merlyn dead on the rooftop."

"I know," Oliver replied and Felicity noted the sudden tension. Merlyn might be dead but something was definitely off with the circumstances.

Felicity spoke up, "I can try to see if there are security cameras around the area that can be accessed and we can view what went down after you left."

"Thank you. I just want to know for sure what happened after. I should've secured the area, but the second device already went off. I'm certain the stab wound is fatal, especially if he didn't get treated immediately. But at least, it's over," Oliver explained. He then added, "Why don't you guys get ready? I have to call our lawyers and see what's been going on."

Diggle and Felicity nodded. When Oliver left, Felicity asked Diggle, "Hey, what are you thinking?"

Diggle breathed out, "I just have a weird feeling about this. How the hell did he escape?"

Felicity squeezed his arm, "We'll figure this out."

After getting ready, the group met again in the living room where Oliver informed them of what he had planned for the day. "Thea and I will meet with Walter and our Mother's lawyers to understand her case and the next steps."

"Do you need us there?" Tommy asked on behalf of everyone who was not a Queen.

"I'll call you. No need to waste your time with this meeting," Oliver assured everyone.

Everyone agreed but before leaving, Felicity suggested, "So, I was looking up the damages from The Undertaking and it might be good if your families set up a relief fund or have some sort of fundraising event to help support the victims and those affected."

"That's a good idea. While your contributions will help the families, it'd probably be in your best interests to try to show that you stand by the people of Starling City," Diggle added.

Felicity clarified that it wasn't just for appearances, "It would send the message that while you share the blood and last names of people behind The Undertaking, you don't agree with what's happened and are willing to help get the people back on their feet."

"You want to right your Father's wrongs? Then you do right by these people," Diggle mentioned as Tommy, Thea, and Oliver stared back at them.

"We'll talk to our accountants and lawyers. We agree - our image isn't important right now, the victims are top priority," Oliver replied as Tommy and Thea nodded in agreement.

"One last thing, Tommy, how do you feel about re-opening your Mother's clinic? The Glades could use more clinics," Felicity cautiously asked.

Tommy's face lit up, "That's, that's a good idea actually."

"While it would be incredibly beneficial to everyone in The Glades, it's a good way to remind people of her work and what she believed in. It'd be a shame to have her memory tarnished," Felicity explained. She was cautious about this idea since she didn't know how Tommy would react.

Tommy had to bite his lip and pulled Felicity in for a hug before whispering, "Thank you, Felicity, for keeping her in mind." After he let her go, Tommy announced, "I'll start a discussion with the old administrators to see what's needed to get the clinic up and running."

Throughout her conversation with Tommy, Felicity felt Oliver's eyes on her. He had an unreadable expression on his face

Tommy agreed to take Thea home and stay with her at the Queen Mansion for security. Felicity asked that she be dropped off at The Foundry, to which Oliver and Diggle disagreed.

"I have to run some searches," Felicity argued.

"That can wait - plus we don't know the state The Foundry's in right now," Diggle responded from the driver's seat.

"We'll check on the lair together. Right now, you're going home to rest. Don't think I didn't see you wincing earlier," Oliver sternly said.

Knowing she wasn't going to win this round, "Fine. I'll look up what I can from home. Don't worry about me. Fast healer, remember?"

"I'll always worry about you," Oliver whispered very quietly and Diggle turned to look at him. Fortunately for him, Felicity didn't hear. If she did, then she chose to not say anything.

The next 3 days were a blur to everyone. Felicity went back to work and was immediately summoned by the Director of the Applied Sciences Division to formalize her promotion as a Manager for their team. When she wasn't tying up loose ends in her old role or learning the new projects she'll be involved in, she was helping Oliver and Diggle with The Foundry repairs. Diggle volunteered to take on most of the repairs, renovations, and even the patrols, since Oliver was busy with his Mother's trial and fundraising plans. Oliver was reluctant but promised Diggle that he will pick up the slack in the next week.

Tommy had relayed the investigation findings that Malcolm had killed himself by slicing his neck with a dagger. There was a note found beside his body where he admitted his role in planning and executing The Undertaking,

The team planned to meet and finally discuss what Felicity found on Merlyn after his fight with Oliver. Though the damage was minimal, they still had to do some work at The Foundry. Felicity talked to Diggle about some updates. Before Felicity could run another search, she heard the footsteps signaling the arrival of her partners.

"We come bearing dinner and dessert," Oliver announced as he set the bags he was carrying on one of the tables. He pointedly looked at Felicity and added, "All peanut-free."

Felicity smiled, "Thank you for remembering." She recalled mentioning it while she babbled about drugs.

Before Oliver could respond, Diggle spoke up, "We clearly don't want to have our Knightress go into anaphylactic shock." Felicity beamed at her partners.

During dinner, the trio had talked about Felicity's promotion, Diggle's patrols, and Oliver's dealings with the lawyers. Oliver watched Felicity closely as she animatedly talked about QC and her promotion. He didn't realize he was staring until Diggle nudged him to get his attention. "What?"

"Felicity was just about to tell us what she found during the night of The Undertaking," Diggle answered as he gave Oliver a questioning look.

Felicity commented on Oliver's odd behavior, "Are you okay?"

Oliver shrugged it off, "Yeah, just thought of the meetings with the lawyers in the coming week." He tried not to be too impressed with his quick thinking.

Felicity gave Oliver another look before going over what she found, "Okay. The cameras on the rooftop were useless. They weren't even functional, so I accessed all possible feeds and cameras that lead to where his body was found. The only feed I found was from a side street 4 blocks away from his home. He was clearly hurt and dragging his body."

As the other men watched Merlyn shamble in the video, Oliver observed, "Malcolm was clearly injured, he probably tried to escape but realized that he wasn't going anywhere. He was alone, so that's a good sign that he didn't have an accomplice of some sort."

"If he was already badly wounded, why would he slit his own throat? That doesn't seem like something one would do to make the suffering stop," Diggle pondered.

"Desperation? Extreme guilt? Don't get me wrong, it did seem very out of character for Malcolm to do that, but does anyone really know how his mind works?" Felicity speculated as she rewound the footage of Malcolm. Despite struggling with his injury, he looked determined to make it back home.

"It doesn't seem productive for us to obsess over why he would do this, but at least we can confirm he really is dead and he didn't have an ally helping him escape," Oliver stated.

"What happens now?" Felicity asked, knowing it was the unspoken question hanging over their heads since The Undertaking happened.

"We make Starling City a better place. We rebuild, go through the list, and stop crimes in the process," Oliver answered.

"Sounds like a plan," Diggle remarked. And just like that, the trio went back to discussing what their plans are for the coming week.

2 more weeks after The Undertaking, the team had gotten to a routine and juggled their daytime activities with Team Arrow work. The Queen and Merlyn children have publicly announced plans for fundraising events and plans to help the people of The Glades. While emotions are still raw, people were mostly understanding and appreciative of what Oliver, Thea, and Tommy are trying to do. There were still some people who voiced their anger at the Queen and Merlyn families, but for the most part, their assistance and help have been welcomed. Tommy's announcement that he will commit to reopen his Mother's clinic was well-received. He even publicly thanked, "His friend, Felicity Smoak" for her support in making this happen – much to her mortification and Oliver's amusement.

Felicity has fully moved into her new role in the Applied Sciences Division and while she loved every minute of it, it also meant taking on more responsibility and work as she ramped up to her new position and at the same time getting started on new projects.

Diggle did the patrols alone with Felicity on comms for a week to give Oliver a chance to deal with fundraising planning and his Mother's trial which moved to the jury selection process. He also met with Walter who has officially been voted by the QC board as CEO.

Oliver and Tommy held off on reopening Verdant to focus on The Glades. He rejoined Digg for patrols once the dust settled on the other things going on with his family. Felicity and Diggle accompanied Oliver when he would make public appearances as a show of support for their partner.

It was almost smooth sailing except for one fundraising weekend event where a man tried to bum rush the stage, while yelling obscenities and hateful language towards The Queens. The trio went back to The Foundry to get ready for patrol. It was a relatively quiet night and Diggle and Oliver were done within a couple of hours. Felicity stayed behind with Oliver that night and signaled to Diggle that she'll talk to him. While she was at her station, she stole glances at him and saw that he was making arrows.

When it got quiet, she looked up from her monitor and saw that he was just holding an arrow, lost in thought until he met her stare.

"You know, I'm almost relishing the silence since when I'm here, we're either working or you're beating something up, but something's clearly bothering you. What the man said wasn't true. He was just running on emotions. You ARE making a difference," Felicity said as she stood next to him.

"I just…." Oliver whispered.

Felicity studied him before encouraging, "You can tell me, if you want."

Oliver breathed out and explained, "Sometimes I think of everything that's happened and I just wished I saw this coming a lot earlier. Maybe there won't be any injuries, people won't be displaced. There would be a lot less anger and Malcolm would've had a shorter trail of bodies."

Felicity thought about his response for a bit, held her hand out to him and then asked "Do you trust me?"

As if it was a reflex, Oliver replied, "With everything."

Felicity smiled and tugged him to the direction of rooftop stairs, "Then come with me."

They went up to the rooftop and Felicity held her arm out to him, "Let's go somewhere. Hold on to me tight."

Oliver tilted his head in curiosity but wrapped himself around Felicity, "Are we about to do what I think we're about to do?"

Felicity grinned at him, "Yup," emphasizing the "p" with a pop. As she adjusted them both, she muttered, "I imagined us doing this in different circumstances." When Oliver gave her an amused smile, "Totally platonic circumstances," she clarified.

"So you are you going to carry me and fly both of us? Oliver looked curious and excited.

"Well, we're going somewhere and flying will take us there faster. Super strength and flying can be useful," Felicity retorted.

"This is the first time that I'm going to be swept off my feet. Figuratively and literally," Oliver chuckled.

"Don't get used to it. Technically, I did carry you when you got shot but this is the first time you're conscious. No funny business or I'll drop you," Felicity joked before adding "Ready? Hang on tight."

Oliver wrapped his right arm around Felicity's waist. When she was confident they were secure, she leapt and held on to Oliver who was staring wide-eyed at the night sky and the city below them. "Being on helicopter or a plane was nothing compared to this," he thought. It took them about 4 minutes and then Felicity was lowering both of them down the ledge of a tall, seemingly abandoned structure.

"We're here," Felicity announced.

"Where exactly is "here"?" Oliver asked as he looked around.

"An old power plant just in the outskirts of the city, overlooking The Glades. What do you see?" Felicity grinned, watching Oliver's reaction as he takes in the scene around them. From their location, they can see The Glades and also have a view of the bridge lights and skyscrapers several miles away from them.

"Mostly residential areas, but there's the financial district far ahead," he answered.

"Right. And do you know why you see that?" She doesn't wait for Oliver to answer as he turned away from the view to look at her. "Because of you," Felicity said as he pointed to his chest.

"Every time you doubt if what you do is worth it, imagine those houses. The people inside those homes that you are looking at are living their lives. You gave them a chance, Oliver. If you didn't go on your mission, who knows if those people would still be alive. There's no way for you to have known what Malcolm had planned and yet you still did everything you could to thwart his evil scheme. You might still reject the idea, but you ARE a hero. Deny it all you want, but you've done enough to be called one. It's what you do. It's why Dig and I joined you," Felicity explained, hoping she was able to get through to him. Oliver went through unimaginable things that made him the man he is today; he didn't deserve to carry the weight of an evil man's sins on his shoulders.

"Well I had a lot of help," Oliver teased.

Felicity rolled her eyes, "You know what I mean." She poked him in the chest and turned back to the view before speaking again, "And together, we'll help rebuild this city. Our city. We'll make it better."

He says her name like it's the answer to all of life's questions – the only way he can, "Felicity," and she turned to face him.

Oliver interlaced their hands and breathed out, "Thank you."

Felicity beamed and squeezed his fingers, "No need, I'm just glad to help."

A few seconds of silence passed between them, hands still together with only the faint background noise from the city around them. It was then that Oliver made a decision to stopped denying himself happiness. Here in front of him stood a remarkable woman whose name means Happiness. If that wasn't some sort of sign, he doesn't know what is. He removed his right hand from her grasp and cupped Felicity's face. He searched her eyes for any fear or resistance, but he found none - so he leaned in and finally pressed his lips against hers.

A shiver went down his spine – a different kind of shiver, definitely not the one you feel when you are cold. Warmth. Oliver felt warm, as if life was making up for all those times he spent freezing in the island. If that was what he had to endure to experience a few seconds of this, he gladly would. He felt her sigh into the kiss and he took it as a welcome sign to deepen it.

Oliver moaned as his tongue sought hers. Her hands, the same hands that found him answers and patched him up, pulled him tighter against her body. He was happy to comply and do the same. He might have kissed a lot of girls, but none of those prepared him for this. Oliver felt the desire to prolong and explore whatever is between them.

Oliver felt Felicity pull her lips away when the need for air became apparent. His instinct was to chase after her lips and cover them with his own. She breathed him in as he breathed her out. Oliver rested his forehead against hers and looked at her shining eyes. Felicity smiled and he felt drawn to her swollen pink lips and adorable dimples. He couldn't resist and placed a chaste kiss on her lips.

"Hi," Felicity squeaked.

"Hey," Oliver responded as he held on to her, their foreheads still touching.

"That was not part of my plan, by the way," Felicity babbled, which made Oliver chuckle.

"I believe this last part was all me. I just couldn't not kiss you. Not anymore, Felicity," Oliver remarked.

"Oh," she whispered before adding, "So that wasn't just a spur-of-the-moment kind of thing?"

Oliver stroked her cheek and shook his head, "No. I've wanted to do that for a while."

Felicity leaned into his hand and asked, "What changed your mind?"

"The fact that anything can happen at anytime and I'd rather know what it's like than to imagine what it would have been like. The fact that I think I would like to allow myself to try to be the man that this amazing, strong woman deserves," Oliver replied.

After a few beats, Felicity pressed a light kiss on his lips, which Oliver tried to deepen. "I'm glad you changed your mind," she said as she pulled away once more but didn't move from his embrace. "As much as I would like to continue this, we both have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow."

Oliver groaned but nodded, "It's late, how about I drive you home and pick you up tomorrow? We can leave your car at Verdant and you can just drive it after tomorrow's patrol?"

"Sounds like a plan, I am pretty tired," Felicity agreed. Felicity flew both of them back to The Foundry where they got their things and Oliver drove his car to Felicity's place.

After Oliver walked Felicity to her door, he pulled her against him and kissed her. "Careful, Mr. Queen, I might get used to this," she joked.

"Ah, I've been found out." He teased back. "I was thinking, maybe we should have dinner sometime this week?"

"Like a date, date?" Felicity asked and when Oliver nodded, she answered, "Not that I'm saying no, but there are a lot of things on your, well, our plates right now."

Oliver exhaled. He agreed that the timing is a bit tricky with so many things going on at the same time, "Yeah. But I want to make time."

Felicity smiled and stroked his dimple, "While I would like that, how about we hold off on our first date until things settle down a bit. I won't hold it against you. You are practically meeting with the Queen family lawyers every day and I'm busy with several new projects at work. Those on top of our nightly activities. But for the record, I would love to have dinner with you."

Oliver accepted, glad that she was agreeable to dinner, "Okay. That just gives me time to make plans."

Felicity rolled her eyes, "You don't have to make it into an event."

Oliver clarified, "I know, but I want it to be special."

"Fine. But nothing too fancy or involves kangaroos," Felicity acquiesced.

"Okay, so Australia is out." Felicity swatted his arm at that. "I still get to kiss you, right?" Oliver asked knowing what her answer will be.

"Yes," Felicity confirmed and she watched as Oliver's face broke into a smile. It's something she now wishes she could see more often. "Now go home. It's late."

"Pick you up tomorrow," Oliver reminded her after giving her a quick peck on the cheek.

She called out, "Drive safely," as he walked to his car.

Once Felicity was inside her house, she smiled and leaned against the door. It was so unlike her to be giddy over a guy. But Oliver was different – good different. She touched her still swollen lips and walked around her living room. She looked forward to seeing him the next day. Now that she's seen a rare glimpse of a lighter, somewhat happier Oliver, she realized she wanted him to have more moments like that.

"Who gets to tell Dig?" she chuckled. Dig. The giddiness she felt about the events of the past hour dwindled as she thought about her other beloved teammate. Felicity remembered the promise she made with Diggle before The Undertaking. Since she was still awake and not getting any sleep soon, she decided to grab her laptop.

Felicity was going to keep that promise. She thought about what she knew - Andy Diggle is most definitely alive and not a figment of her imagination. "That's a starting point," she thought.

"Facial recognition!" Felicity announced, to no one in particular. Felicity grabbed a pint of mint chip from her freezer and tried to remember the dates that she crossed paths with Andy and set up a search. She needed to tap into cameras and sift through video feeds. She makes a mental note to set up private alerts in The Foundry.

Felicity made a decision to gather as much information as possible before letting Diggle and Oliver know. She can't allow Diggle to hope for something that might be a dead end. "Where are you, Andy and what have you been up to?" She could feel it in her gut that he is trapped in Killgrave's machinations. While she wants to be hopeful that it's not the case, she had to be realistic. Killgrave being alive makes it even more possible.

Somewhere inside a loft by the Starling City Waterfront, Killgrave sits behind his desk while smoothing out the latest prints he was given. "Our home is ready, Jessica. I wish the same could be said of you," he said as he stared at a photograph of Felicity taken that day as she was walking towards a fundraising event.


	13. Steps Forward

_Hi everyone. This chapter took longer to post due to work keeping me very busy. Admittedly, I hit a wall after 4K words. I know what I want to do with this and even what I want for the future chapters (I even have some ideas for a couple of fics), but it was a bit of a challenge to power through and finish this one._

 _Thanks again for the support. Your feedback, favorites, follows, etc. are all appreciated! I don't own anything and this isn't beta'd. Mistakes (if there are any) are mine to revisit and correct._

 _Hope you enjoy this update!_

 **Steps Forward**

The sounds of grunts and feet hitting the mats surrounded The Foundry on an early Saturday morning. While waiting for Diggle, Oliver and Felicity decided to spar. It's been 2 weeks since their kiss and mutual decision to try being in a relationship. Oliver was now more than happy and comfortable with being her training/sparring partner. Despite having super strength, Felicity's moves aren't as refined as Oliver's. He would bark out pointers during their session.

Oliver and Felicity were standing roughly 4 feet from one another - panting, sweating, and anticipating the other's move. They moved slowly in circles, like a ceremonial dance, until Oliver lunged at Felicity who was able to react quickly and dodge his attack. Felicity grabbed Oliver and flipped him on his back and straddled him.

"What do I win?" she asked looking down below him, with a triumphant smile on her face. Oliver's heated stare making her gulp.

"Don't celebrate too early" Oliver said as he quickly rolled both of them over, putting himself on top of Felicity. "Although either way, I feel like I'm the real winner," he smirked as he held her wrists above her head while straddling her.

Felicity chuckled and held Oliver's gaze who groaned when she unconsciously wet her lips, giving him a sneak peak of her tongue. "How about we call it a draw this time? It's not every day I get The Green Arrow on his back even for just a couple of seconds," she joked back.

Oliver leaned in and moved his mouth right next to her industrial piercing. Despite the light sheen of sweat on their bodies from sparring for over an hour, he still felt Felicity's goosebumps as he whispered, "Maybe instead of sharing a point each, we share dinner?" Smooth.

When Oliver moved his face to wait for Felicity's answer, she surprised him by getting herself free from his grasp and pulling him down to capture his lips. Oliver melted into the kiss and deepened it as he fought the itch to slide his hands inside her training tank. He moaned when Felicity lightly traced her nails along his back and he gripped her thigh in retaliation.

Pulling away, he nipped at Felicity's jaw. Her soft moans making him power through and trail kisses along her neck. He went back to her lips and was about to flip them over when he heard Diggle's voice, "While I'm happy at this development, do we need to have a discussion about boundaries and what being a considerate team mate entails?

Both men ignored Felicity's "Oh my God," as she tried to use Oliver's shoulder to hide her face from Diggle. Oliver rolled his eyes at Diggle and slowly released himself from Felicity. "I guess we no longer have to decide who gets to tell John," he muttered as he helped Felicity get up.

"Look, I don't know what's going on here, but I only ask two things from both of you - no funny business in the lair, and treat each other right," Diggle sternly told the couple. His second point, he mostly directed to Oliver.

"We know. And this isn't just a physical thing," Oliver explained as held Felicity's hand. "We uh, we decided to try being in a relationship and see where this goes," he added. Felicity's earlier embarrassment was replaced by admiration and support for Oliver. Diggle eyed them carefully and nodded.

Felicity decided to switch gears back to Green Arrow business. "I know we've been kept busy by a few thugs and unsavory individuals, but I've kept tabs on the people on the list since we were derailed by The Undertaking. I created a program that analyzes each person's profile – we're talking about family, business associations, finances, etc. It then ranks the names on the list by to the risk they pose from some criteria I set up. We still have some work to do when we look into a name but at least we can either go for the seemingly low-hanging fruit or the bigger threats right away."

When she was met by the stoic faces of her partners, Felicity explained, "Well, I didn't mean to overstep, but I thought we can try to get some names off the list again. I'm not saying we use this for everything, forever- "

"Felicity, breathe," Oliver assured his girlfriend. "Girlfriend, huh. It sounds nice, but at the same time sounds like it doesn't come close to describe what Felicity was to him," Oliver thought.

"I think this is great, or at least a good starting point for who to target," Diggle remarked.

"I didn't even know you were working on this," Oliver commented.

"Well I have some spare time. It's the least that I can do since you've both been patrolling hard in the past week. It's bound to get quiet in Starling, but that doesn't mean we have to stop," Felicity answered. Oliver couldn't help but give her a look of awe.

"How about we talk about our next target over dinner? I'm going to pick up some food," Diggle suggested.

After telling Diggle what they wanted to eat, Oliver approached Felicity who was about to grab her bag to shower and change. "So, what about it? Dinner tomorrow?" He asked with a hopeful look.

Felicity paused. "Hmmm, okay," she said before giving him a peck on the lips.

"Do I need to carry a spray or hose to separate you guys?" Diggle's teasing voice made them freeze.

Oliver huffed, "Weren't you supposed to be on your way out?"

"Forgot my wallet, Romeo. For the love of God, we'll be eating here later, so keep it clean," Diggle remarked.

"Funny," Oliver responded.

"Don't make me put you on the no-fly list, Dig," Felicity chirped as she disentangled herself from Oliver's hold and made her way to the bathroom.

As Oliver watched Felicity closed the bathroom door, he heard Diggle snort. When he turned to his friend, he saw a look of amusement and understanding before Diggle made his way out. Oliver allowed himself time to think of his growing relationship with his blonde partner.

"You're just going to destroy her, because that's what you do."

"Am I going too fast or am I not going fast enough?"

The idea of being in a relationship, being vulnerable and possibly putting a target on the back of someone he cares about, terrifies him. However, Oliver just couldn't bring himself to ignore how he feels and keep Felicity out of his life. He just couldn't. Sure, it all started with him coming to her for technical assistance, only to find out she recently became a significant figure in his sister's life. Then it became an obsession, almost like a need to know she's okay from afar. Even though she caught him or at least felt him watching over her. He got to know her better and trusted her with his secret, his life, and now possibly, his heart.

"She might have superpowers and can hold her own in a fight, but can she protect herself from you?"

He never planned this, but he realized that he wanted to Felicity by his side. Oliver made a decision – he wasn't going to walk away from Felicity Smoak. And if he's being honest with himself, he couldn't even if he tried.

The trio had discussed their next target, Gary Wedlake, and made plans to do more recon to see what he's been up to lately after Felicity found several fund transfers to an offshore account. They parted ways after dinner because they had an early and busy Friday ahead of them.

When Felicity got home that night, she couldn't help but be excited for her first date with Oliver. Since they decided to start a romantic relationship, she had so many questions and even some concerns. Though there were so many things going on, being with him felt… right, despite a voice in her head challenging her feelings.

"Do you really like him or do you just like playing hero with him?"

"2 broken souls don't make a whole."

"You despise and are terrified of a fractured man who once controlled you, and now you start losing yourself to one who can give you a run for your money with the number of skeletons in his closet. Pathetic."

There's a part of Felicity that wants to run away and end this before they go any further to protect Oliver from Killgrave and herself from a possible heartbreak. But by doing so, wouldn't she just break her own heart? Oliver can protect himself and she would back him up and lay her life on the line for her partners. There's no denying that she cares a great deal for Oliver. He's wonderful - in a million different ways. But that's the problem, it's too easy to lose myself in him.

Felicity can almost hear her mother's voice, "Baby, that's how it's supposed to feel." She makes a decision – she was going to embrace this relationship and protect both of them.

Friday whizzed by for Team Arrow. After dropping Oliver to meet with lawyers for a variety of reasons, Diggle did some recon on Wedlake. Felicity was swamped with QC work and meetings. By 4:30 PM, Felicity received a reminder from Oliver that they he'll pick her up at around 7:30 so she should leave soon. She had a few more minutes to close out on some open items before leaving.

Felicity was buzzing. She already had the perfect red dress prepared with matching silver heels. Oliver refused to tell her where they were going. She wore her hair down with a few loose waves and curls. It was 7:25 and Felicity was on the couch when her doorbell rang. After taking a few cleansing breaths, she walked up to the door and opened it to reveal a very dapper-looking but fidgeting Oliver.

"Hi. You look beautiful," Oliver breathed out.

"You don't look so bad yourself," Felicity responded as she gave him a quick kiss which he eagerly responded. "Do you want to come in first or should we get going?"

"Uhh, I have the night planned. It's best we get going," Oliver informed her as he offered Felicity his arm. He walked her to the passenger side of his Bentley. "You're gorgeous," he said as he stole a kiss before pulling out of her driveway.

"You already said that, Mister and for the record, you are handsome," Felicity remarked. "So where are we going?"

"I told you, it's a surprise," Oliver teased.

"You know, I hate mysteries, right?" Felicity pouted.

"I know, that's one of the things that make you remarkable," Oliver said while he took her left hand in his right one.

They drove for about 20 more minutes and Felicity watched as they stopped at a mansion that was similar but not as big as Oliver's home. He led them inside the property which had a lovely rose garden illuminated by fairy lights and lanterns. Towards the end of the garden was a table.

"We're here," Oliver announced.

"Oliver, this is-" Felicity gasped, lost for words at the scene in front of her. "just lovely," she finished. "You didn't have to go through all this trouble. Where are we even?"

"This was one of our properties in Starling. This is our ancestral home. My parents used to take us here almost every weekend when we were younger, until we rarely visited. Don't worry, this is nothing. Plus, I had a bit of help from Thea who was more than excited when I told her I am finally taking you out," Oliver answered.

"Well, thank you. This is quite a setup, impressive," Felicity complimented as Oliver set their appetizers on the table. He had everything prepared and ready. He didn't want anyone bothering them, so after Raisa prepared the food, he made sure to keep them ready and heated so he could serve it himself. He swore that Raisa was torn between being amused and wanting to hit him with a ladle with his constant hovering. He may have confirmed if there were no traces of peanuts in the food about 8 times until he was told he was no longer welcome in the kitchen.

He poured both of them a glass of 1982 Chateau Lafite Rothschild Pauillac and smiled as Felicity raised her glass. "There's not a lot of things to toast about at this time," Oliver lamented.

"Well, there's us," Felicity suggested and the smile that graced Oliver's face just warmed her heart. "To us," he agreed. Oliver was entranced at Felicity's obvious appreciation for the wine.

Dinner went by smoothly with each of them sharing interesting anecdotes when they were younger. When he set their dessert on the table, Oliver pulled his chair closer to Felicity so he is shoulder to shoulder with her. Felicity met him halfway and they were sitting together in the center.

Felicity surprised Oliver when she held a bite of chocolate mousse for Oliver who was more than happy to return the favor. They fell into a comfortable silence and Felicity found herself leaning against Oliver.

"There are still a few things that you don't know about me," Oliver said as he traced lazy patterns on her shoulder.

Felicity thought for a moment and realized Oliver was testing the waters about sharing more personal, possibly island-related things. "Please. Name one," she responded without sounding demanding.

"The five years that I was away, I wasn't always on Lian Yu," Oliver admitted.

"I thought so. Where were you?" Felicity replied, letting him know she had a bit of a clue given his skills.

"Hong Kong, for one. And I have been thinking a lot recently about my time there. The choices that I had to make. Those years sound like they were full of a whole lot of suck. I'm sorry. I'm just a little out of my element. The entire time that I was gone, I could never completely trust someone. And when that goes on long, you stop seeing people as people. You see threats, or targets. When I decided to come home, I... I just didn't know how to turn that part of me off. Then I walked into your office, you were the first person that I could see as a person. Then I got to know you, how much you've helped Thea and that you're the "virtual vigilante". I just couldn't stay away. There was just something about you," Oliver explained. He looked at Felicity and there wasn't an ounce of pity in her eyes. Her eyes held compassion and understanding.

Felicity was overwhelmed with Oliver's revelation. She knew what it was like to not be able to trust people after going through an ordeal. She remembered the day they finally met. A pen in the mouth and a shot up laptop with the worst excuse ever. Instead of responding with false platitudes, she went with, "Oh, yeah, I was calling bullshit on your excuse in my head and chewing on a pen.

"It was red," Oliver added like it was a well-known fact. Felicity beamed at him and squeezed his hand.

"I had it ingrained in me that because of my mission, what we do at night, I couldn't be with someone that I... That I could really care about. Whenever I think of you, I hope I'm wrong," Oliver confessed.

"I'm not saying that our life will be all rainbows and sunshine, there will be scares, there will be arguments. But it's better to go through those with someone by your side. You don't have to be alone. I'm not saying you should end up with me and that you'll do this forever. Please accept the fact that there are people out there who care about you and love you. Taking on this mission doesn't mean you have to give yourself in to the darkness. You need someone to remind you that there is still a lot to fight and live for and someone to help you hold on to your humanity," Felicity explained.

Oliver rested his forehead against hers and just breathed her in before capturing Felicity's lips. He may not have told her everything that has happened during the last 5 years, but he felt lighter. He felt confident that as long as she lights his way, he'll be fine. They will have time to share more details about each other.

After staring at each other, Felicity broke the silence, "When I first moved to Starling City, I thought I was going to leave everything behind, but then Walter gave me the list to investigate. You know how much I hate mysteries, so I was up for it. The big part of the job is looking for the worst in people to unfold the mystery. It turns out, I excel at that. Having your father walk out on you and be repeatedly abused by a psychopath helps." She felt Oliver squeeze her hand.

"I felt this need to make sure these people are duly punished. After everything that's happened to me, I've learned when I have to walk away. But going through the list and then knowing you, working with you? I just can't. I wanted to have a purpose. I'm glad you came to me with that laptop and shitty excuse," Felicity chuckled.

"Me too," Oliver replied.

They finished their dessert and moved to a padded bench on the other side of the garden with drinks in hand. After a few minutes of silence and just talking about the property, Felicity asked, "Will you eventually tell Thea that you're The Green Arrow?"

Oliver paused, "I honestly don't know." He felt Felicity nod under his chin.

"Can I just say something? And this doesn't have to have any bearing on your decision." Felicity asked.

"Of course," Oliver responded and kissed her temple for encouragement.

"Think of how she will react if or when she learns about your secret from someone other than you. Let's be realistic, it's not exactly impossible for your secret to leak out. I know you're doing this to protect her, but you can still protect her while being transparent," Felicity explained. When she looked at Oliver, she saw him consider her words. That was enough for now.

With an eventful Saturday awaiting them, both decided to call it a night; despite both wanting to spend the night together. Oliver wanted to give in to his desire but had to control himself. "If this relationship was going to work, I need to do this right. He wanted more than just a few hours of passion to explore, consume, and be consumed by Felicity," he thought to himself. Unbeknownst to Oliver, Felicity was just as conflicted. She wanted them to unleash the pent up desire for one another.

They drove back with just the sound of the radio playing in the background. Throughout the drive, Felicity's left hand was intertwined with Oliver's right.

Oliver walked Felicity to her doorstep and was leaning down to give her a kiss when she spoke, "I'm an ass."

That certainly made him open his eyes and ask, "What?"

Felicity rested her forehead on his and clarified, "I've been preaching about telling the truth, but I haven't been completely honest. Well, I was planning on telling you, I just wanted to make sure the thing had some legs to stand on."

Oliver couldn't help but be charmed by her babble and just pulled her closer. "Felicity? What are you talking about?"

Felicity shook her head and explained, "Right. Uh, so remember how I told you that Andy's brother was THE guy that I thought I killed and is actually alive?"

"Yeah," Oliver answered still unsure where she was going with this.

Felicity quietly spoke, "Well, I've been looking for him. Like doing some facial recognition, checking for unusual activity, checking police blotters - the works. I told Digg I was going to help him find Andy, but I don't want to get his hopes up. I want to loop him in once I have a reliable source and a plan.

Oliver understood Felicity wanting to keep things to herself until she found a solid lead. "I know, but promise me you'll let me know as soon as you get a hit or something."

Felicity nodded against him, "Will do. I just couldn't help but think this is my fault."

Oliver pulled back, brows furrowed and asked, "How?"

Felicity exhaled, "KIllgrave - because of me, they crossed paths." She paused to look at Oliver who was listening intently before continuing, "Killgrave leaves a trail of broken people behind him." Myself included, she added mentally. "A couple of words? And you're his weapon. He's in your head and he's always there. Hell, even when I thought he was dead, he still here." She ranted as she pointed at her head.

Despite the teary eyes, she defiantly exclaimed, "I refuse to let anyone die because of me."

Oliver pulled her to him and whispered "And I refuse to let anything happen to you and for you to deal with this alone. He no longer has a hold on you, Felicity. Whatever he's planning, we'll stop him."

Felicity hugged him tighter and mumbled to his chest, "Some first date conversation, huh?"

Oliver chuckled, "Well, we're not an ordinary couple." Felicity looked at him and quirked her eyebrow, "We're a couple."

"Yeah," Oliver breathed out, amazed at how natural it felt for him to acknowledge his growing relationship with Felicity.

"It's amazing," Felicity commented as Oliver captured her lips.

After getting lost in their kiss, they pulled back and came up for air. Oliver cleared his throat and tightened his hold on Felicity, "Though I would love nothing more than to take this further and wake up next to you, I want to do this right. I told you you're not just any woman." "You're the woman" a voice in his head added, which is something to analyze at another time.

Felicity was torn between between relief and frustration. "Well, I couldn't say I disagree. Plus, it'll be worth the wait," she whispered seductively as she lightly scraped her nails down the back of Oliver's neck.

"You're not making this easy for me," Oliver groaned.

After another goodbye kiss, they finally parted. They agreed to meet up at the event they planned for the residents of The Glades. Felicity watched Oliver walk back to his car and saw him wait for her to go inside before driving away.

Felicity smiled as she changed her clothes. She felt lighter and dare she say it - happy. It's been a while since she felt that way. She wasn't going to analyze or overanalyze her feelings that night – she knew how she felt, though she's still a bit cautious.

After changing and freshening up, Felicity took out her laptop and a stack of papers she printed with details on Andy. The traffic cameras caught him a few times, but he has been MIA lately. Felicity set the papers on the table, circling the timestamps and locations to look for a pattern:

Monday, 7:44 AM, Main and Bradford – just a block away from QC

Tuesday, 7:13 AM Main and Howe – two blocks away from QC, across her favorite coffee shop

Friday, 7:37 AM, Mission and Main – also a block away from the north side of QC

Sunday, 10:22 AM Robson and W. Georgia – across the street from the coffee shop she frequents on the weekends.

Despite only seeing a few screen captures, Felicity knew why she was easily able to identify the locations where Andy was seen. She paled and started pacing then muttered, "Birch Street, Higgins Drive, Cobalt Lane". There's no coincidence that Andy was lingering near QC or the coffee shops she frequents. Andy was following her and she knew with no shadow of a doubt that he was under Killgrave's control. "Son of a bitch!" Felicity yelled as she punched the counter top, which cracked and sported a considerable dent.

Felicity grabbed a bottle of whiskey and took a swig as she sent a message to someone familiar with her Killgrave-related freak-outs. She was alternating between drinking and chanting "Birch Street, Higgins Drive, Cobalt Lane" when her phone rang. "Jess! What's wrong? Are you okay?" Her best friend's worried voice allowed her to calm down a little bit.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to wake you but I'm freaking out," Felicity told her friend.

"Don't worry about it. I wasn't sleeping, I was doing research on a future guest. What happened?"

Felicity recounted the revelation that Andy was John's missing brother and how she is positive he is following her under Killgrave's orders.

"I just don't know how other than the times I actually saw him, I didn't see him following me. I should have been more careful" Felicity growled, frustrated that he was so close. She was worried that he may have followed her near Verdant, but none of the feeds caught him following her from her place or QC to Verdant.

"Hey, don't beat yourself up over it. Everybody dismisses a junkie. Besides, junkies aren't known for keeping a regular schedule. You wouldn't have known. Even if you saw him when you thought he was dead, you wouldn't have known he was indeed following you," Trish said as she tried to calm her friend down.

"The search for Andy just turned into a rescue mission for a drugged up creeper who also happens to be an ex-soldier" Felicity tried to control her anger and frustration.

"You'll think of something, Jess. Let me know how I can help. I promised to stay away but you have to promise to be careful. You said it yourself, he's an ex-soldier. This isn't just some junkie you can rough up. You have to admit, that's a lot of effort on Killgrave's part. It's a good cover, though," Trish commented.

Felicity snarked, "It could be his alternative career if Killgrave doesn't OD him first. Andy might just be my ticket to getting Killgrave."

After talking for a few more minutes and catching up, Trish and Felicity said their goodbyes and hung up. Felicity needed to think about her routine. Her routine could help her get Andy but it could also lead to her own demise. She can't afford to tip off Killgrave on Team Arrow's nightly activities and relationship with Oliver, if he isn't already aware. She saw that the cameras haven't picked up any sightings for about 4 days. "Where are you hiding, Andy?"

The next day, Felicity got ready early for a busy Saturday. Felicity made sure to stop by her usual coffee shop and tried to be vigilant. Nothing. She took the longer route and made unnecessary stops at the bank, gas station, and grocery store. Still no Andy. She joined Oliver, Diggle, Thea, and Tommy at a give back event that they were hosting. While the clinic re-opening is still in the works, they had a group of medical professionals to offer consultations, screenings, diagnostics and check ups to the people in The Glades.

Majority of the people were glad that this was being done, although there are a few who still made their opinions on the Queen and Merlyn families known. Oliver had sadly accepted that there will be people who will resent their families. The event seemed to be a success. Oliver looked on as Tommy and Thea were talking to some families. Felicity was talking to one of the administrators and Diggle was near the entrance to keep watch. Felicity made her way to him and said, "The event administrator said they're also expecting 3 more doctors to assist later today and tomorrow. Looks like- "

She was interrupted by a loud boom. Oliver instantly pulled her underneath him as he tried cover her with his body while trying to get a visual on Thea and Tommy. "I'm fine, go check on the others, " he heard Felicity say.

As he got up, Oliver saw Diggle run back inside. "Calm down, everyone. It was just a car backfiring. No need to worry."

Felicity assured the other people around her that it's alright before making her way to Oliver, Tommy, Thea, and a face she recognized. "Are you guys alright?" she asked the group. They all assured her and Oliver they were fine.

"Hey, I know you. Roy, right?" Felicity addressed the familiar face.

"Didn't think you'd remember. Felicity?" Roy spoke up, suddenly feeling self-conscious with all the attention on him.

Felicity nodded and smiled. "Is everything alright. Uh, what's going on?"

"He kind of shielded me when we heard the boom. I'm Thea Queen by the way," Thea explained before introducing herself to Roy.

"Thank you, I'm Oliver, her brother," Oliver tersely interjected as he noticed his sister's attention on Roy. "How do you know each other?" Oliver asked as he gestured between Felicity and Roy.

"I'm Tommy, if anyone cares," Tommy cut in, noting the sudden tension brought about by a protective older brother.

Felicity took pity on the younger man and gave Oliver a pointed look, "Long story. I was new in the neighborhood and ran into him, while he was helped out a defenseless woman from some thugs."

"Felicity then helped me out. Well, more like, protected me," Roy clarified with a mixed look of embarrassment and admiration.

"Oh," was the only response from the other people in the group.

"I was about to leave when I heard something like an explosion. I saw her standing frozen when I was about to dive for cover," Roy explained and then added, "Thanks for having this event – it's not every day we have doctors willing to go to The Glades."

"Thanks again for trying to protect my sister and you're very welcome," Oliver addressed the younger man with understanding and gratitude for looking out for Thea.

"We'll try to plan another one until the clinic reopens," Tommy added.

"Alright, I'm going to go. Thanks. Nice to see you again, Felicity," Roy waved as he turned to leave.

Oliver eyed the teenager and he was snapped out of his thoughts when Felicity excused herself to make a quick phone call. He unconsciously pressed a kiss to her temple before she left his side. Diggle joined him and told him about the car backfiring. Diggle commented that there weren't actually any threats. A few minutes later, Felicity rejoined them and they made rounds and periodically checked with the administrators.

After the event, Thea told everyone that she was going to sleep at a friend's house while Tommy was going to head home. Team Arrow had some business with Gary Wedlake, who was embezzling funds from his employee's retirement accounts to an offshore account and regularly meets with the Italian mob. He was laying low and the team agreed that a visit from The Green Arrow and Spartan is warranted. Felicity was going to tip off the authorities once her partners interrupts the meeting.

The "visit" was boring and uneventful, by Team Arrow standards. Although their targets put up a bit of a fight, The Green Arrow and Spartan was able to easily subdue them. Wedlake, already struck by the fear of God, begged to not be hurt and will admit the embezzling. SCPD showed up and began the arrests, after Felicity called them, as the 2 masked superheroes looked on.

When her partners got back in The Foundry, Felicity greeted them, "Don't you wish all these guys are THAT easy to deal with? It might suck for your adrenaline rush but it sure as hell would save our medical bills and your bodies."

Oliver chuckled and gave her a kiss on the lips, "I wish, but then again, not all of my wishes come true."

"I can think of a couple that did," Diggle teased.

After changing out of their suits, Diggle and Oliver rejoined Felicity to see what happened to Wedlake and the Italians. "How about we wait until these guys talk? I want to know what they are up to and I have a feeling the Italians are up against another group. It would be good for us to stop that," Oliver remarked.

"I'll keep an eye out on the blotters and arrest and case notes," Felicity affirmed.

"I have a buddy in SCPD whose brain I could probably pick," Diggle added. "Alright, if there is nothing else for tonight, I will see you both tomorrow for day 2 of the event at The Glades." Diggle grabbed his gun and bid goodbye.

Once they were alone, Felicity walked up to Oliver who pulled her close. "I noticed you have a duffle bag with you. Were you planning on sleeping here?"

Oliver breathed out, "Yeah."

Felicity's brows furrowed in worry, "Is everything alright?"

"Don't worry. It's just that I don't really want to stay at the Mansion tonight. Plus, Thea is staying at her friend's place. I didn't really want to be alone at a big house," Oliver explained.

"So, the lair is your alternative?" Felicity asked, no longer worried.

"I know it's not a good one," Oliver admitted.

"But, did you want to be alone?" Felicity questioned.

"No, not really. I would've checked into a hotel, but I figured I'd save some time going back and forth after patrol," Oliver clarified.

At his answer, Felicity pushed back a bit and gave Oliver a stern look, "You do remember you have a girlfriend who has a spare room and at the very least a couch. I even have extra space on my bed, not that we have to- "

"I didn't want to be a bother," Oliver interjected as he looked apologetic. "Good," Felicity thought.

"I'm going to try not to be offended that you didn't come to me, because this," she waved around the basement before continuing, "Shouldn't have been an option. You might be used to cold, damp places, but you're not on an island anymore, Oliver," Felicity admonished.

"I'm sorry," Oliver apologized as he leaned his head against hers.

"Well, don't apologize. I wasn't trying to pressure or guilt you into staying with me. I'm saying you have options – and by options, I meant, me, John, or Tommy. If you want to be alone, then that's another story," Felicity quickly clarified. She didn't want Oliver to feel bad.

"Well, then I hope you don't mind if I crash at your place," Oliver murmured as he nuzzled her neck.

Felicity moaned, "Hmmm, now that you've mentioned it. I was saving my place for this amazing guy in a green hood. I think I better check with him first."

"I think he'll approve," Oliver played along.

Felicity untangled herself from her boyfriend and gestured for him to get his things ready, "Alright. Let's go home." Upon realizing what her sentence sounded like, "And by home, I meant MY home. Not OUR home. You're more than welcome to stay at MY home."

Oliver decided to spare Felicity the trouble, "Fe-li-ci-ty, I know what you meant." On their way to Felicity's place both of them thought how "our home" sounded great.

Oliver plopped himself on the couch as Felicity went straight to the kitchen. When she came back, she had a tub of mint chip and a couple of spoons.

"It seemed like we could use some mint chip and talk a bit. All things considered, what's bothering you" Felicity asked as she handed him a spoon and offered the tub of ice cream.

Oliver smiled at Felicity's offer, graciously took the spoon and opened the tub, "Things are fine as you know, but I'm worried about my Mom's trial. The defense said they were going to rest."

At Felicity's soft "Oh," he continued, "Yeah," Oliver answered with a mouthful of ice cream.

"Well, uh that could be a good thing. I mean no evidence has been brought to light that indicates your Mother was a willing participant. It's the prosecution's responsibility to prove her guilt. Malcolm Merlyn coercing people to be a part of The Undertaking has been established, that has to weigh heavily on the jury," Felicity reassured Oliver.

Oliver ate another spoonful of ice cream, "I know, but I can't help but think they aren't trying hard enough."

"Are you going to fire them?" Felicity probed.

Oliver shook his head, "No. That would just complicate things even more. This might be her last chance. I don't agree with what she did, but she wasn't a willing participant.

"If you want, I can try to look for incriminating evidence," Felicity sheepishly suggested as she dug into the tub of ice cream.

Oliver chuckled, "Are you asking for my permission to hack and get any evidence to help my Mom?"

Felicity pointed her spoon at Oliver and asked, "Is that judgment I'm hearing?"

"No, pride," Oliver answered and gave her a kiss. "While I appreciate the offer, it might lead to trouble."

"Your lack of faith in me is insulting," Felicity teased.

"It's not that. I already pulled you in my nightly activities, I don't want to add another possible felony on your growing rap sheet," Oliver's tone turned serious.

"Fine. By the way, not everything is your fault. Stop blaming yourself. This isn't a hostage situation. You came to me for help and I stayed." Felicity squeezed his hand. It pains her to have him fault himself for even the smallest things. "That has to change," Felicity thought.

"And I am thankful for it," Oliver added.

"But you will let me know if you need me to do some digging, right?" Felicity asked as she leaned into him.

"Now you're just itching to hack," Oliver joked.

"It's such an ugly word," Felicity mumbled.

They continued to eat ice cream until Oliver switched topics, "Now, tell me about your day. Don't think I haven't noticed that you've been busy running yourself to the ground."

Felicity exhaled, "Things are looking up at QC. I'm starting a number of projects."

Oliver looked at her, unconvinced that QC is the only thing that's keeping her busy in addition to Team Arrow activities, "Uh huh,"

"And then there's Andy," Felicity admitted.

"Any luck?" Oliver asked, already knowing the answer.

"No, just some random sightings. He doesn't look good. I meant, he looks like he's on drugs. Haggard, looks so much different from Dig's photos," Felicity described.

"At least you confirmed that he's in Starling City," Oliver tried to offer some sort of consolation.

"I know but when are we going to get him? We might not have time. I hope he hasn't been socializing with the wrong people," Felicity said cryptically.

"I'll keep an extra eye out when I patrol," Oliver offered.

"Thank you, that's good. I don't know what to tell John and I don't want to get his hopes up." Felicity felt conflicted for not telling Diggle but she also didn't want to give him false hope, with Killgrave in the mix, who knows what was going to happen.

"Don't worry. We'll find him and reunite him with his family," Oliver assured Felicity.

"Today was fun," Oliver mused.

"Yeah, it's great to see the people at The Glades get some medical assistance. You really are doing a great job. They appreciate it, some might not be as vocal, but they do," Felicity said with a proud smile on her face.

"It's the least we could do for them. Soooo, tell me about that kid Ray," Oliver not-so-subtly asked.

Felicity shook her head, already knowing why he was asking. "Roy"

"Yeah," Oliver innocently nodded.

"Well, when I first moved to the city, I decided to walk home but ended up at a store near The Glades. I heard someone yell "Run" then a woman ran past me. Roy stopped a group of thugs from assaulting the woman, but then they turned on him. I wasn't going to let him be outnumbered," Felicity recounted.

"So you helped," Oliver stated without needing Felicity to confirm how she helped Roy.

"Yup," Felicity answered.

"Thea asked about him before we left earlier. She talked about him and I quote, "The hoodied hottie with a jawline that could cut paper was so brave." Oliver growled.

"Interesting. Well, he's a nice kid. Don't make that face. Just because he's from The Glade doesn't mean he's up to no good. You don't know his story," Felicity reprimanded Oliver.

"I know. I'm sorry," Oliver apologized as he pulled Felicity so she was sitting on his lap.

"So, sleeping arrangements. I'd offer you the guest room, couch, or even my bed. It depends on you. The couch isn't great, but I don't want you to think I'm luring you to sleep with me," Felicity clarified as she fought off a blush.

"I would love to sleep in your room, so I can be close. I just didn't want you to feel pressured," Oliver admitted.

"Can I be honest?" When Oliver nodded at her question, Felicity replied, "I wanted that as well. But we haven't exactly…"

Oliver interrupted her with a kiss, "We don't have to do anything. Just sleep. Besides, we have an early day tomorrow. We have time for other things."

"How can you be so sure?" Felicity asked.

"Because we'll do things right, take our time with each other, and make this work" Oliver answered. It amazes him how secure he feels about this relationship with Felicity.

"Good answer," Felicity commented as she stood up, cleaned up, and led Oliver to her bedroom.


	14. Search and Rescue

Hi everyone! Apologies for the long wait. I've been very busy with work (doing two roles as I moved into a new one) and honestly, I'm still in a bit of a funk. I actually had 5K+ words, but I just couldn't finish it even though I know what I wanted to do with this chapter and the next one. I'm really learning a lot about fic writing (challenges, lessons learned, etc).

I also would like to clarify that I won't be going too deep in the Marvel side of things as I would like to still keep this mostly Arrow-related. I try to keep the story moving forward but do let me know what you think of the flow so far. Another thing - When I first wrote this, I had a different image of Andy in my mind, so I am going with it (somewhat young-looking tall man).

Anyway, apologies again and I appreciate you for still taking the time to read, comment, and give kudos. I'm hoping to update soon. Let me know what you think.

I don't own anything and if there are mistakes, I will try to correct them as much (and as quickly) as possible.

Hope you enjoy this chapter!

 **Search and Rescue**

Warmth – that's the sensation that Oliver woke up to and he tried to blink away the remnants of sleep. He remembered spending the night at Felicity's place. Just sleeping. He couldn't recall if or when he's ever just slept beside a woman. His right hand was underneath her back and his left hand was resting on her abdomen. "I could get used to this," he thought with a smile.

Oliver was silently studying his sleeping girlfriend's features but frowned when he saw her eyebrows furrow and head start to move from side to side. He knew from his own experience that Felicity was having a nightmare. "Felicity, Felicity wake up," he shook her and pulled whimpering blonde against him when she started to struggle.

Felicity woke up gasping and whispered, "Birch Street, Higgins Drive, Cobalt Lane". Wild eyes turned to Oliver and she started to remember that she wasn't alone. "Oliver?"

"Shh, it's okay. I'm here. You had a nightmare," Oliver pulled her tighter to him. He could feel Felicity trying to regain control of her breathing and heard her mumble the same phrase.

"Did I, did I hurt you?" Felicity asked as she pulled back and checked if she managed to hit him when she struggled.

"You didn't, you just struggled a bit and woke up," Oliver replied.

Satisfied that she didn't cause her boyfriend any harm, Felicity brushed a hand on her forehead. Killgrave's voice from the police station still ringing in her ears:

"I was trying to show you what I see – that I'm the only one who matches you, who challenges you, and who'll do anything for you. Before I met you, I got everything I wanted. And I didn't realize how unsatisfactory that was until you left me to die. You are the first thing; excuse me, person who I ever wanted that walked away from me. You made me feel something I had never felt before. Yearning – I actually missed you."

Her thoughts were interrupted when Oliver moved her chin so she was once again facing him. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Felicity thought about it for a beat and shook her head, "Not really, it's just Killgrave messing with my head. And I know you're going to ask," she grabbed his hand and squeezed it, "I don't always get them."

Oliver cupped her cheek with his free hand and spoke to her softly, "If you ever need to tell someone about your day or even your nightmares and fears, you can tell me." He leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on her lips.

"When I first got back from the island, I had a nightmare and ended up putting my Mom in a chokehold," Oliver confided.

Felicity slid her hand to his shoulder, concern and understanding evident on her face when she asked, "Do you still have them?" A voice inside her head mocked, "Of course, he'd still have them. He was trapped in an island for 5 years!"

"Not as often as I did. I didn't have one last night," Oliver admitted.

"I'm glad. You deserve a good night's sleep," Felicity commented.

"When you woke up, you were whispering something, what was it?" Oliver carefully asked, unsure if it was a touchy subject.

Felicity knew what he was talking about, "You mean, Birch Street, Higgins Drive, Cobalt Lane?" Oliver nodded. Felicity breathed out and explained, "It's the street where I grew up and the street behind that and the street behind the other. It's a grounding mechanism that my ex-therapist told me to use to help me get back to reality. It helps with trauma, or so I would like to believe."

It was then that Oliver realized just how much Felicity of her struggles she kept to herself and she was slowly letting herself be vulnerable around him. He pulled her closer and kissed her.

Felicity caressed his ear and felt Oliver purr into the kiss. She pulled away with a giggle and Oliver rested his head on her chest. "As much as I am enjoying our lounging today, you big cat, we need to get ready. Diggle was going to pick you up and I wanted to run through some searches before I meet you guys at the event."

"Andy?" Oliver looked up from her chest. Felicity nodded, "I wanted to revisit my criteria. I'm planning on letting it run while we're away. Since Dig should be here in about…" she looked at the time and continued, "an hour, I suggest you shower first. I'll get coffee and a quick breakfast so you won't leave with an empty stomach. If I'm not running too late, I might bring some snacks for the volunteers."

"You cook?" Oliver quirked his eyebrow as he grabbed his duffle bag.

"Don't expect a Michelin-star breakfast. One can't expect an orphan to survive without learning how to cook and be self-sufficient," Felicity pointed out casually. When she saw a look of guilt flash on Oliver's face, she continued, "Hey now. None of that. I will let you know that the learning curve was a bit steep as there was an incident that involved an omelet and the Cambridge Fire Department."

"What?" Oliver blurted.

"That's a story for a different time, now go shower before Diggle gets here. Towels are in the cabinet. Don't blame me if I send you away with a pop tart or a cup of fruit loops because you took your sweet time to get ready," Felicity directed him to the bathroom. "Yes, honey," She heard Oliver say as he closed the door to the bathroom.

While Oliver was in the shower, Felicity prepared what she was going to wear before hustling to the kitchen to brew coffee and to get some toast, bacon, tomatoes, and eggs ready. "This feels disgustingly domestic," Felicity thought before muttering, "But you like it."

She had just finished cutting up some fruit when she felt Oliver's arms wrapping around her waist. "This looks good," Oliver whispered against the juncture between her neck and shoulder.

Felicity smiled and turned around to face him. She kissed Oliver and passed him the bowl of fruit to bring to the table. "Food is on the table, coffee just finished brewing. Now go, eat. I'm going to get ready so I'll at least be somewhat decent when Dig arrives. No need to wait for me," she said as she took a swig of her coffee before heading to the bathroom, leaving Oliver with a small smile on his face as he started to eat the breakfast that his girlfriend prepared.

Several minutes into his breakfast, Oliver heard a knock on the door. He opened the door and was met by Diggle's stoic face that turned into an amused one. "Put the bacon down, man. I'm not here to hurt you."

Realizing he had a firm grip on a strip of bacon, he popped it in his mouth and let Diggle in. "Felicity made breakfast. She has some… errands to take care of then she'll meet up with us. Have you eaten?"

Diggle got himself a cup of coffee and got food for himself. "So, did you sleep well?" Diggle didn't bother to hide his mirth when he received a call from Oliver asking him to be picked up at Felicity's place retelling how she took issue when he planned to sleep at the basement. Diggle was glad Felicity would reprimand Oliver whenever he would revert to his "island days". They're alike in many ways, but he can see Felicity is the perfect foil to Oliver, but in a good way.

"Actually, yes. I didn't get any nightmares," Oliver answered earnestly. He actually dreamt about meeting Felicity under different circumstances, happier circumstances - before both their tragedies started. Oliver and Diggle shared small talk as they ate.

Oliver cleared their plates and put them inside the dishwasher, purposely ignoring Diggle's inquisitive stare.

"Morning, John," a freshly showered and dressed Felicity greeted. "I assume Oliver already told you that I'll meet up with you guys later this morning," she said as she poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down.

"That he did," Oliver answered on Diggle's behalf as he sat next to Felicity and gave her a quick peck on the lips. They talked a bit about the attendance and security for the event as well as their plans to meet up later at the lair to check out a string of recent drug deals.

After Oliver and Diggle left, Felicity adjusted her searches and waited a few minutes before heading out to meet Roy. She recalled their conversation yesterday.

"Hey! Roy, wait up! Felicity called out as she tried to catch up to the younger man.

"Hey Felicity, what's up?" Roy asked as he turned around, confused as to why she was jogging up to him. 

"Just checking in on you?" she nervously said.

Roy sensing her worry said, "Look, I appreciate the concern, but no need to worry about me. I haven't gotten myself in trouble lately."

"So, are you currently working or in school?" she asked.

"Just some seasonal labor work. But I doubt you caught up with me just to check on my current employment or educational status." Roy gave her a knowing look.

"You're right. I need a favor and I'm hoping you could help," she admitted.

"Yeah. I mean, I'll help out in any way I can. You did prevent me from getting a beat down, it's the least I can do. What is it?" Roy probed.

"I don't want you to feel obligated." Felicity hesitated.

"It's not an obligation. I want to help. What is it?" Roy insisted, clearly eager to help. 

Felicity made a decision to push forward, "Are you free tomorrow morning?"

"Yeah" Roy didn't bother to hide his curiosity and excitement.

"Uhh, why don't we meet tomorrow at the coffee shop on Hornby and Cordova around 10 to discuss the details? It's for a friend." Felicity suggested. After exchanging numbers, Felicity turned to Roy and thanked him.

"Don't thank me yet, I haven't done anything." Roy mentioned.

"But you're willing, so it's a good start. Thanks again. Take care." Felicity insisted.

"Not a problem. And uh, Felicity. I'll keep this on the down-low," he whispered.

"I appreciate it." Felicity smiled as they bid each other goodbye before she rejoined the others.

Felicity waited with a cup of coffee in front of her. As soon as she saw Roy round the corner, she breathed out a sigh of relief that she didn't know she was holding.

"Good morning. Thanks for meeting me," Felicity said as she waved Roy over to the seat in front of her.

"I told you, it's not a problem, Blondie," he huffed out.

Felicity bristled (but secretly liked) at the nickname, "Don't call me that. Did you have breakfast already?"

"Uhh," Roy felt shy all of a sudden.

"I'll take that as a no. What do you want? I'm buying," Felicity asked as she stood up to head over the counter.

Roy sheepishly asked, "Hot cocoa?"

"And to eat?" Felicity looked at him expectantly.

"Whatever you choose is fine," Roy answered, still uneasy with having Felicity buy him food.

"Ok, be right back," she said as she made her way to the counter.

Felicity came back later with a large hot chocolate, a breakfast burrito, a pastry, and a cup of oatmeal with fruit. "I didn't know if you're a savory or sweet kind of person, so I went with both - plus you can't go wrong with oatmeal."

"Thanks, this is perfect. So, what do you need help with?" Roy asked as he started digging into his oatmeal.

Felicity decided to go with the cliff-notes version of her story, "I have a friend back in Boston who fell in with the wrong crowd and I saw him in Starling City. I then found out that there's a missing persons report on him by a common friend who happens to be his brother. The police haven't exactly been able to get to him. He's transient and laying low."

"And you think there's a chance he's hanging out in The Glades," Roy supplied.

"Yeah. I just- I was hoping you could be my eyes in The Glades. Don't engage. I don't want to spook him out, plus he's an ex-soldier so who knows what he could do when he's not… himself. Is that something you could do? Just keep an eye out and if you see him, let me know. I'm just worried and he has a family. Here he is." She slid a photo of the old Andy and the cleanest version she pulled from a traffic camera."

As Roy studied the photo, Felicity tapped his hand, "If this is something you don't want to be do, it's totally understandable."

"No, I want to help," Roy determinedly answered.

Felicity felt hopeful. "Really?"

Roy confirmed, "Yeah. If you're willing to go through so much effort, then he must be worth finding and helping."

"He is. He's just not in control of his life. His family misses him and I want to help them get reunited." Felicity didn't know what kind of man The Diggles will get back, but bringing him back is still the right option – no, the only option.

"That's noble of you," Roy commented.

"His brother is like a brother to me," Felicity answered without any hesitation.

"I'll keep an eye out to see where he's hanging out," Roy said as he looked at the photo.

"I just need to know what he's been doing and where he's staying," Felicity reiterated as she studied Roy who seemed to be memorizing the details in his head.

"Got it. I have your number so I'll call you as soon as I have something. But don't get your hopes up.

Some of these people are good at hiding. But since I live there, I might be able to scour the place." As much as Roy was excited to help, he knew how tough life could be for people in The Glades. There may not be a happy ending and he wanted Felicity not to get too hopeful.

"Thanks, Roy," Felicity once again expressed her gratitude for the young man.

"Not a problem. Again, you saved my life at some point. Consider this paying it forward," he noted as he finished eating. "Are you going to the event today?"

"Yeah, I'm meeting up with my friends there," Felicity smiled at the thought of seeing her Oliver and the others.

"For the longest time, I've resented those rich kids, but it looks like they're really trying to do good," Roy admitted.

"They are. They just want to help. What their parents did was something they had no control over or knowledge of and they want to do right by this city," Felicity defended and explained calmly. She didn't find any malice in Roy's statement, but she wanted to let as many people know as possible that Oliver, Thea, and Tommy are not like their parents and are trying to help.

Roy nodded. He gathered his things and smiled at Felicity, "I'll call you when I have something. Thanks for breakfast."

"Thank you. See you around. And Roy," she called out one last time, "Be careful."

After meeting with Roy, Felicity decided to stop by the supermarket to buy some snacks as promised. It would also help explain her delay. Not that she didn't want to tell Oliver about meeting Roy, but she wanted him to focus on his projects, his Mother's trial, and their nightly activities. "He has a lot on his plate," she convinced herself.

Once she got to the venue, she waved Diggle over to help her carry the snacks from her car. After setting the food and beverages she bought, she spoke with one of the administrators before making her way to Oliver.

As soon as Oliver saw her, he excused himself and met her halfway. He greeted her with a kiss on the cheek and though she felt giddy about it, she also felt a bit self-conscious. One look at Oliver, and Felicity could tell he knew exactly what he did and didn't care that they were in public. She squeezed his arm, "Just caught up with the administrator and said there are almost twice as many people today. Good job."

The pride in her voice and eyes made Oliver's heart swell, "Thanks." He then asked, "Are you okay? Any luck with your searches?"

Not wanting to lie, Felicity answered, "I'm trying a few things. Hoping something will come out of them."

After the successful event and parting ways with Tommy and Thea, Team Arrow met up at the lair to discuss their mission. Oliver and Diggle suited up to go to the Waterfront and deal with a possible drug deal after a couple of men on the list had unusual intersecting financial activity that led to Felicity looking into their communications and financials.

It apparently wasn't as straightforward as they initially hoped. It was a bigger drug deal than they originally thought. "Green Arrow, Spartan," Felicity called out as she listened to her partners fight off the goons. "You have more company. I'm seeing 4 more SUVs heading your way and there's no way these are the police. I already put in a call to SCPD and they're still 4 minutes out. You have to find a way to get out now."

Felicity frantically typed to try to divert the other cars by hacking into the SUVs' GPS. She was successful in delaying their impending arrival and locking them inside the vehicles. Her victory was short-lived when she saw them break the windows and exit the cars on foot heading over to Oliver and Diggle.

Felicity warned the duo that the men are coming on foot. She heard more grunts and shots being fired. Not wanting to distract her partners, Felicity tried to follow whatever footage she could pull up. Three loud explosions startled her. "What was that? Green Arrow, Spartan what's your status? Are you okay?"

When she didn't hear anything, she yelled again, "Green Arrow, Spartan, please. I need to know you're okay. Otherwise I'm calling an ambulance and heading over there myself."

It was only Diggle's strained, "Situation contained. We're on our way back," that alleviated some of her fears.

"How badly are you hurt? Don't say you're fine," Felicity asked over the comms.

"Nothing that some basic first aid and a few days' rest could fix. Don't worry. I'll, we'll see you shortly," Oliver assured her.

"I'll always worry. Just come back safely," Felicity replied, somewhat comforted by the fact that both men didn't sound like they were in too much pain.

While she waited for the 2 men, Felicity started preparing the medical supplies and kept an eye on the SCPD feed. 15 minutes later, she heard the door open and met them by the stairs.

"SCPD is currently processing the scene," Felicity informed her partners. Diggle was favoring his right leg while she observed Oliver winced when he turned the corner to stow away his bow and quiver. She offered to help Diggle but he waved her off and gave her a grateful smile.

"What happened out there?" Felicity asked.

"We interrupted a drug deal and used some of those exploding arrows you designed. Thanks by the way. We've managed to destroy their product but not before getting some samples. Could you find out what these are and see if there is anything we could link these to?" Oliver explained as he handed her a vial and a bag of green powder.

Felicity nodded as she took the items from Oliver. "I'll see what I can find," Felicity answered.

After Diggle changed out of his suit and cleaned his wounds, he bid Oliver and Felicity goodbye with a reminder that he will see them tomorrow. Felicity motioned for Oliver to sit down so she could tend to his wounds. He smiled and indulged her even though he could do it himself or ignore the cuts and bruises as they weren't that bad. "Any plans for tonight?" Oliver hissed as Felicity lifted his pullover to assess the damage before cleaning.

"No plans, I have to review some proposals. We have a big meeting coming up where we'll discuss possible collaborations with Kord Industries, American Steel, DS Enterprises, Genetech, and Sunderland Corp. I wouldn't mind the company though," Felicity looked up as she said the last part – an open invitation for him to stay over.

"How does pizza with wine sound?" Oliver asked as he pulled Felicity against him and rested his head on her shoulder.

"Sounds good. Did I miss anything else? You were wincing earlier, but at least you weren't limping like John," Felicity looked over for any injuries she may have missed.

"I'm fine, I promise. Nothing that wouldn't heal in a couple of days," Oliver reassured her as he looked up at her worried face.

"When I heard the explosions, I didn't know what to think or do. I hate that I'm just here unable to help," Felicity mumbled.

"Without your intel and directions, we won't be making any progress on any of our missions. You even got those SUVs to stop – that was amazing. I feel better knowing you are here - safe and watching over us," Oliver refuted and held her tighter. He didn't want her to think she wasn't contributing to the team.

"I know, but I just feel like I should be out there with you guys. I can hold my own, maybe not with the fighting finesse that you and John have, but it's still something," Felicity knew she was walking on dangerous territory since Oliver tries to avoid having her on the field with them.

"As much as I appreciate your willingness to help out in the field and I know you can hold your own, we need you more here. I'll be honest - I hate, no loathe, the idea that we will have times where you will be out in the field. But let's cross that bridge when we get there," Oliver tensed up but didn't want to argue. He knows and already hates the situation that will call for Felicity to be in the field. He doesn't doubt her abilities; he just didn't want her closer to danger.

Considering it a win, Felicity nodded and started to clear the medical supplies. "Tommy mentioned you guys were planning on re-opening Verdant soon," she decided to change the subject to a more neutral zone.

"Yeah, we'll need your guidance on some tech setup if you're free. What's up?" Oliver asked as he observed her.

After clearing out the med bay, she turned to him with a smile and asked, "Are you thinking about hiring?"

Unsure where the conversation was going, "We'll definitely need new people to fill in a few positions. Why'd you ask?"

"Uhh, I was wondering," Felicity drawled out as she stepped back in between his open legs.

Oliver smiled and grabbed her hips, "I'm listening."

"If you have an opening for Roy," Felicity finished and looked at Oliver with big blue eyes as she bit her lip. If she was going to ask, she might as well go full puppy on him.

She can see the wheels turning in his head, "Roy? Wait. The kid with the hoodie from The Glades with the jawline Thea won't shut up about?"

"Yup, that's him! And before you comment," Felicity confirmed and put her index finger on his chest.

Oliver quickly negated and wrapped his hand on her finger, "Wasn't going to." Felicity tilted her head and pursed her lips at his response.

Oliver chuckled, "Fine, I was going to comment, but why?"

Felicity huffed out, "I just want to look out for him. He's a good kid who could use a decent place of employment, like Verdant. I heard the owners are responsible charming men."

Oliver knew he was going to do whatever if it was Felicity asking. He laughed at her attempt to really sell it. Before she made another attempt to argue even further, he answered, "We'll give him a trial - behind the bar. Is he even over 21?"

Felicity beamed and gave him a kiss on the lips. "Yup. Thank you!"

They went back to Felicity's place to have dinner. Felicity reviewed proposals beside Oliver while he watched a replay of an earlier baseball match on TV.

2 weeks passed by quickly for Team Arrow. The trio were still busy looking to bust the drug ring and get more information on the unknown drugs which may lead to more solving some likely related deaths. Felicity found all the components of the drugs, but the actual drugs have never been in the market, so she tried to find out what the drugs actually do. The drug dealers have been laying low, but Oliver and Diggle kept patrolling. So far, only some drug-related deaths are their only leads.

Moira's trial has also kept Oliver busy as he and Thea have been preparing to testify. They are worried about how the prosecution would attack. Felicity tried to offer as much support to the siblings, but they were assured by their Mother that her involvement with The Undertaking was due to being threatened by Malcolm.

Though Felicity has been heads down with her job, she still hasn't stopped her searches for Andy. She knew she had to bide her time. She can't very well confront him when she knew she was under Killgrave's control. Who knows what his contingency plans were? Felicity needed to know where he stayed and estimated a short window for when she can "subdue" him. "So much easier said than done," she said to herself.

While she was busy assessing the product proposals, her phone vibrated in her pocket. She took it out and read a text from Roy: "I have info – can you meet?" Gulping, she nodded to herself before replying to meet her at a coffee shop near Queen Consolidated after work. Felicity, despite feeling a heaviness and unsettling in her stomach tried to get as much work done as quickly as possible so she could meet Roy. This was it – a lead, possibly a step closer to getting Andy back.

Before meeting Roy, she sent Oliver a text saying she'll be running late. He called to tell her not to worry and to take her time.

When Felicity entered the coffee shop, she already saw with sitting in the corner. She quickly ordered a hot chocolate and a latte, then went over to him with drinks in hand.

"Thanks. I found him," Roy said as he went straight to business. "There's a bunch of drug dens in The Glades, which he frequents. Oddly enough, he leaves in the morning and comes back by mid-afternoon." Roy showed Felicity his phone with photos of Andy.

In her mind, Felicity knew just exactly what Andy was doing in the morning. "Junkies aren't known for keeping a regular schedule," she whispered.

Roy watched Felicity and commented, "If I didn't know better, I'd say he could be a good spy. It could be his alternative career if he doesn't OD. Didn't know until now that being a junkie could make for a good cover."

Felicity looked up from the photos and said, "Everybody dismisses a junkie."

Roy cleared his throat and added, "He stays in this apartment after that – he only leaves in the morning through the afternoon." He hands her a piece of paper with an address. "Here's where he lives. It's a sketchy neighborhood, not that I'm expecting something else in The Glades. I can send you those photos I took."

Felicity smiled at Roy, connected their phones and transferred the photos to her device. This was it. She's a step closer to getting Andy back.

"You going to confront him?" Roy asked as Felicity returned his phone back to him.

"I might have to since I don't know what the police will do if they get to him first," Felicity answered. She knew other than drugs, the police don't have anything on Andy. She's worried about Killgrave.

"Look, Blondie. It might not be safe. That guy can't be up to any good," Roy argued.

Felicity breathed deeply and explained, "People do bad shit. I avoid getting involved with them in the first place and that works for me; most of the time. But I'll have to make an exception this time. Deep down, he's a good man."

Roy nodded and then asked, "Do you need help?"

Felicity straightened up, "No, this is so much more than I thought I'd get. Thank you so much, Roy."

"Are you sure?" he asked again.

She reached for his arm and squeezed it. "Very. I do want to ask you something."

With a furrowed brow, Roy probed, "What is it?"

Felicity looked for confirmation, "You're not currently working full-time, right?"

Roy shrugged his shoulders, "Just some part time construction work. Why? Do you have another mission for me?"

Felicity chuckled, "Not exactly. But if you're interested I might be able to recommend you for a job. Do you want to work at a bar?"

Felicity explained that she spoke with Oliver and they'll be in contact, with his permission of course, once Verdant is close to re-opening. After thanking Roy profusely, they parted ways.

Felicity took the longer route to the Foundry and passed by Andy's apartment building while she thought about her move. She knew Andy was following her in the morning. She had to make sure he thinks she's going about her day and act quickly. She was going to have to make her move the following night. Fortunately for her, it was the same night of the week that Oliver and Tommy planned to meet and discuss fundraisers as well as the Verdant reopening, so no patrols. Felicity already assured both men that she had searches and alerts running at The Foundry, so should something happen, they would all be aware. She will need to take time off or work from home the day after she gets Andy to monitor him before handing him over to Diggle.

Next morning, Felicity went on with her day, knowing she was being followed and focused on getting through her work day. She was checking in throughout the day with Oliver and Diggle. While she felt bad for keeping them in the dark, it was better that way. Killgrave and his control were such variables that she didn't want to risk them.

Felicity went straight home after work and checked her Team Arrow-related searches remotely before heading out. It was 10 PM and she needed to make her move. She wore a black jacket on top of her hooded sweatshirt. She parked several blocks away in a secluded lot. Before going on foot, she checked the tranquilizer dart and the cuffs in her pockets, both of which she "borrowed" from Oliver.

As soon as Felicity got to the apartment building, she noted the lack of people. She didn't need to buzz up as the main gate was just open. Those loitering around didn't even pay any attention to her. "Perfect," she thought. She walked up the stairs, careful not to draw any attention.

Apartment 304.

This is it. She stared at the door at the end of the narrow hall. She knew what she had to do. Felicity reached for the fire alarm and set it off. The loud ringing noise filled the entire building. She heard people shambling towards the exit, some of them she assumed were drugged out of their minds if their incoherent shouts were to go by.

No one came out of apartment 304. She received a text from Roy a couple of hours ago that he saw Andy walk back in the apartment and also not to worry that he's sticking his nose in her business. Apparently, the young man had an inkling of her plans and kept watch. She'll thank him later for that.

Felicity looked around – the residents on the 3rd floor have already left, except for Andy. She was in front of the door. She whispered, "Birch Street, Higgins Drive, Cobalt Lane", then yanked the knob to forcefully unlock it and quietly opened the door. The faint light and sounds from the TV were the only signs of life in that apartment. As she stepped inside the unkempt space, she found Andy slumped over the couch with some white powder on the table beside it. "Oh great, I don't have to drug him," Felicity thought.

Felicity stood closer and tapped him on the chest. No response. She checked his pulse. It's there, so he seems to have just passed out. Felicity walked over to the window, opened it, and saw that the fire escape for his room faced the other side of the street – opposite to where most of the residents had likely gathered. Luck was really on her side, at least this time. She went back to where Andy had dozed off, lifted his arm, and since there was no response or resistance, carried him over his shoulder. She grunted as she took in the extra weight and fled through the window. One last look and she shoot off into the sky to where she parked.

Felicity was careful to make sure that no one in her street saw her with a drugged up man on her shoulders. She opened the door to her townhome and carried him inside. She decided against putting him in her spare room and instead sat him on her bathroom floor, cuffed one of his hands, and placed the other cuff on one of the pipes under the sink. She needed him to sober up and not make a run for it – the bathroom seemed like the best spot.

Felicity took a good look at him under the light of her bathroom. He was a shell of a man that once fought for his country and had a family. But it wasn't too late. Hope hasn't been completely lost. She grabbed a washcloth, put it under cold water, and started wiping his face. Felicity was pretty sure that in addition to some dirt, there were flecks of food and coke on his face.

After tossing the washcloth away, Felicity heard a whimper and a grunt. She turned to him and watched him take in his surroundings and his cuffed hand. It took a while for Andy to make eye contact with her and when he did, he let out a humorless laugh as she walked away, "You saved me, again."

Again. They both remembered that night - Felicity recalled the man who she originally thought was a lanky teenager getting ganged up on, while Andy thought of a dark-haired teenager who helped him.

"Give me your wallet. Give me your wallet, ass wipe," a thug demanded.

A bruised Andy handed his wallet while he had one of his arms over his head. He was outnumbered by these armed thugs. The guy with the gun grabbed it and was about to leave when his friend said, "Just end him, bro. He saw our faces." They started pummeling him and he heard a gun being cocked when someone yelled "Hey get off him."

The next thing Andy knew - one of his attackers went down and he was able to punch the other one. The dark-haired woman dealt with the one he punched so he could compose himself. "Get away from him and never come back, or I'll call the cops," she exclaimed. She was walking towards him and Andy was about to thank her, when a guy started clapping and told her to leave him. He took this as his cue to leave, but not before taking another glance at the young woman who helped him.

Several hours later, Andy found himself fighting off sleep and nausea. His thoughts were interrupted by Felicity re-entering the bathroom, "What do you want to eat?"

He glared at Felicity who just rolled her eyes. Finally, he said, "A peanut butter sandwich."

Andy heard her mutter something and listened as she said, "Sorry peanut allergy. Would you settle for an almond butter sandwich?"

"Yeah, whatever," Andy dismissed her and was about to rest against the bathtub when he felt himself get sick and reached for the toilet bowl. He barely registered the hand rubbing his back. "I am sick," he whimpered and flushed the toilet.

Felicity stepped back and tossed him a wet washcloth, "Yeah, and you're just going to get sicker, so try not to miss the toilet."

"Go to hell," Andy yelled.

Felicity leaned against the door, unfazed, observing him and replied, "Already been there. So have you, but you managed to make a return trip."

Andy's usually taken a bit more by this time and he can feel his body craving more coke. "Fuck, I just... I need a little bit; you know? Just... Just to wean myself off," he pleaded.

Felicity let out a snort, "I already beat myself up thinking I killed you. I'm not going to help you kill yourself."

Andy was in a fetal position or the closest to one with his arm still cuffed to the pipe, to help ease the nausea and chills. "I mean, why not? I'm useless to you. To anybody," he gritted.

"Yeah, at the moment. But originally, you were going to help people. Social work after the Army, right?" Felicity pointed out.

Andy sat up quickly and yanked his hand, "Look at me. Who am I going to help like this?"

Felicity growled, "You have a choice now."

"I took pictures of you," he countered.

"Because he made you!" Felicity screamed.

"Sometimes I did it just for the drugs. Think about it, I met him once a day. 10:00 a.m. His controls don't last that long. You know they don't," Andy explained.

Felicity was getting irritated at his defeatist attitude, "That's why he got you hooked, so you would show up."

"God damn it, you can't save me. You can't save me again. I'm telling you that I had a choice," Andy argued loudly.

Felicity shook her head and slammed the door behind her. She angrily prepared a sandwich. "How dare he give up," is the only thought in her mind as she angrily hit the toaster.

She went back to the bathroom with a sandwich and bottled water. Andy kept sniffing, "Please just give me my goddamn drugs. Just give me... Just give me my goddamn drugs!"

That was it and Felicity was going to lay into him, "Do you even care that you have a wife and son? That you have a brother who hasn't stopped looking for you? John? AJ? Carly? Do any of them matter to you?"

"Of course! And they're better off without me. Killgrave will find me. I'll be dead anyway. It's better that they're not in his radar," Andy said as he banged the back of his head against the wall.

"That's not for you to decide," Felicity argued. "You're right. I can't save you. The whole time he had me, there was some part of me that fought. There was some tiny corner of my brain that tried to get out. And I'm still fighting. I won't stop fighting. But if you give up... I lose. Do you get that? He did this to you to get at me. To isolate me. To make me feel like an infection, one more person dead or dying because of me. So why don't you remember how to be a goddamn human being again instead of this self-pitying piece of shit that he turned you into, and save me and also choose your family for once? You choose." She turned around and was about to leave when she reached into her pocket and tossed a small bag of coke at him.

It dawned on Felicity that her whole plan hinged on Killgrave's control, and not Andy's refusal to come back and kick the habit. Felicity's heart broke for Andy and his family. Her hatred for Killgrave grew. She couldn't sleep, not with him whimpering and mumbling in the background. Felicity decided to check on some Team Arrow business.

It was already almost 10 in the morning when she decided to check up on Andy and bring him another sandwich. When she opened the door to the bathroom, she was surprised to see him dozing off, still fighting off the withdrawal. The bag of coke tossed in the toilet bowl made her stop. Andy decided to fight. She set the food down and grabbed a warm washcloth to help alleviate the withdrawal. She heard him mumble a "Thanks".

Felicity felt lighter and was about to check in on Oliver and ask him to swing by with Diggle in a few hours, when her phone rang. It was an unlisted number but in the back of her mind, she knew who it was. She pressed accept and listened to the voice that keeps haunting her.

"Well hello, Jessica. I don't know about you, but I'm disappointed. Imagine getting excited to go about my day, only for my daily fix of photos to not arrive. It's so rare... for me to be kept waiting and feel powerless. But in retrospect, it's exhilarating – we get to play a game. Oh, you're mad about the junkie, aren't you? That is completely unfair. I didn't make him do anything he didn't want to do. He was an addict waiting to happen. Come on, Jessica. Come on. Don't play the hero with me. Fine, fine. Pretend you saved the junkie, but we both know that was down to me. I tell you what. I will let him go down his own self-destructive path. I won't come near him. Only, if you do his job for him. Keep the pictures coming. Say, one a day at 10 AM. Don't forget to smile. Hmm? Send the picture, save the junkie. Sounds like an ad campaign. Let's start, how about now? Come on, Jessica. Tell me we have a deal. Let me hear your voice."

It's so easy for her to just hang up. Felicity stared at her bathroom door and heard Andy whimpering. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "She promised John. This is for Andy, Carly, AJ, and John," she thought to herself.

"Fine" Felicity answered curtly.

"Time is ticking, Jessica. Send me a good one," Killgrave reminded before hanging up.

Felicity took one last glance at the bathroom. She opened the camera app on her phone, took a photo and hit send.

After checking on Andy and bringing him an old oversized t-shirt she won at a convention, she took her phone out and dialed a familiar number.

"Hey, I was just about to call you," Oliver's voice instantly comforted her.

She smiled, "How was you meeting with Tommy?"

"It's fine, I'm actually dropping off some paperwork to our lawyers. I know you're taking the day off, but I was wondering if you wanted to grab lunch? You're still coming tonight, right?"

"Yeah. Uh, listen can you and John come over?" Felicity asked softly. She heard and can picture the exact moment his demeanor changed. "Felicity? Is everything okay?"

"Yeah. Just, come over. Please," Felicity assured him and it probably didn't help when she said "Please".

"We'll be there as soon as possible. Are you sure you're okay? Are you being threatened?" Oliver asked and she heard rustling in the background.

"I promise, I'm fine. I'll see you and John soon. Hey, don't worry," Felicity reassured her boyfriend.

Felicity walked over to Andy and uncuffed him. He whispered "Thanks" and she led him to the dining area for coffee and a light snack.

17 minutes later she heard a pounding on the door. Felicity stood up and told Andy, "Stay here."

As soon as she opened the door, Oliver grabbed her and inspected her for injuries. "Hey, what's wrong?" He looked around the townhouse and before he could go any further, Felicity stopped him. She saw a very alert and tense Diggle right behind Oliver. She let both men in and shut the door.

"I'm fine," she informed both men. "The reason I called, is because I want to let you know that I've been looking into Andy's reappearance. I told you there's a chance he might be in Starling. I confirmed that. Just as I suspected, he was being controlled by Killgrave. Fortunately, Killgrave's orders wear off after a day as long as he doesn't make any contact and his order was fulfilled. Unfortunately, Killgrave got Andy hooked on drugs." Oliver had intertwined his fingers with Felicity's. She felt him squeeze her hand and she squeezed back to reflect her gratitude. She turned to Diggle, "I didn't want to tell you until I knew for sure what I am looking into because frankly I had no idea where to find him."

Diggle nodded and asked, "What are you saying? Is he okay? Did you find him?"

"Yes, I did. Follow me," Felicity nodded.

"He's here?" Both men exclaimed. Diggle's voice was a mix of incredulity, excitement, fear, and relief. While the tone in Oliver's voice gave away his annoyance that she went through this alone.

"I brought him here because I couldn't take any chances with Killgrave," Felicity explained.

Before following her, Diggle put his hand on her arm, "We will talk about how you put yourself in danger after I thank you for helping find my brother."

Felicity smiled, "I made a promise. He's going through withdrawal, but I think I got through to him."

Diggle beamed, "If anyone can, it'd be you."

She led them to the kitchen where Andy had his hands on his head. He looked up.

"John?" He exclaimed and stood up as he walked slowly towards his brother.

"Andy? God. It really is you," Diggle met his brother halfway and hugged him.

She heard a muffled, "Yeah, I'm so sorry, John."

Felicity tugged on Oliver's hand which was still holding hers. "Let's give them some space," she told him.

When they were back in the living room, Oliver asked her, "Why didn't you tell me?" He didn't bother hiding the hurt, worry, and disappointment in his voice.

Felicity stroked his hand, "I didn't even know if I was going to find him. Plus, you were busy with the trial and I only have a window where I could make sure I get to him before Killgrave strikes back. I didn't mean to hide this from you – you have to know that. I know you'd understand that this was a decision I had to make. I can't risk you or John getting hurt because of Killgrave." She made a mental note to tell him about getting help from Roy later.

"It's fine. But next time, and I hope to God, there won't be a next time. You'll tell me, so if something goes wrong, I could at least back you up," Oliver gently reprimanded her and pulled her close.

"Yes, I will. We'll talk more later, I promise," Felicity rested her head on his shoulder.

A few minutes later, the Diggle brothers walked into the living room to join her and Oliver. The couple pulled back and moved to face the brothers.

"I think it's been a long morning. I'm going to bring this guy back to my place, talk, and bring him to Carly and AJ," Diggle informed Oliver and Felicity of their plan.

"Take as much time as you need, John. We'll be fine," Oliver responded which was his way of telling his partner that he and Felicity will handle Arrow business while he helps his brother get back on his feet.

"Thanks, Oliver and Felicity, I don't know how many times I can thank you for this," Diggle reached over and hugged Felicity.

"Once is enough," Felicity said as she hugged him back. She turned to Andy and said, "I know now's not the time but when you're feeling better, I'd like to talk."

Andy who was still slightly pale and shaky, nodded, "Of course. It's the least I could do. You saved me. Again."

"Don't get used to it," Felicity joked to help lift the mood.

She noticed Andy's brow furrow then he asked, "At what cost?"

"What?" Oliver asked back.

Andy stepped forward and clarified, "What price did you have to pay to get me away from him?"

Felicity looked down and tried to wave him off, "Don't worry about it."

Andy shook his head, and reminded her, "Killgrave asked me to take photos of you."

"What?!" Oliver and John yelled and both advanced.

"Oliver! John!" Felicity put her hands up to stop them.

"He wouldn't have agreed to just let me go easily. Jessica, what did you do?" Andy worriedly pointed out.

"It's Felicity, and it's taken care of – it's fine," Felicity corrected him and reiterated that that everything is fine.

"Felicity," Oliver pleaded.

"Fine. A photo. That's it," Felicity answered a little loudly. She pushed the idea that Killgrave once again had something over her in the back of her mind earlier but now it's back and it is threatening to suffocate her.

"That's it? And you agreed to it?" Andy asked.

"You're back, that's all it matters. Just stay away from all this and go back to your family. Don't let me regret any of this," Felicity tersely answered.

"Thank you, again," Andy came up to her and extended his hand. She shook it.

Before leaving, John gave her another tight hug and whispered, "Thank you for bringing him back and we'll figure out how to get him. I don't care if it's the last thing I do."

She nodded and returned the hug.

As the door closed behind the Diggles, Felicity felt like she took a step forward and several steps back. She was being controlled by Killgrave again, but at least it meant Diggle got his brother back. It wasn't until she felt Oliver's hand on her waist and him pulling her into a hug that she realized she was frozen in place muttering, "Birch Street, Higgins Drive, Cobalt Lane".


End file.
